Shadowy Figures
by KittyandKat
Summary: Marik and Skylar were best friends, with crushes on each other that they refused to admit. Malik, on the other hand, wasn't afraid to do anything to get what he wanted, and what he wanted was Skylar. Marik and Skye must try to take him down without the aid of the Millennium Rod or face an eternity of being apart. REVIEW! Edited version . Rated T for mature content
1. Chapter 1

**This is the edited version of Shadowy Figures! Same title, but on the old version it will say (rough draft) right after it. Continue reading if you don't want to get confused during the story :).**

**Some of the changes will include more content, since I felt that I kind of rushed the story a little bit, because I was dying to get it done. I am basically re-writing it from the ground up, since I'm going to be working in more of everything. It will be longer (I plan on twenty chapters or more, it all really depends), and it's going to have, like I said, more content. The sad part is that I will be removing some details, since as I re-read it, I realized that I was inconsistent with some details, like, for example, her age. One time I put eighteen, another I put sixteen, and at the end it was seventeen. She's going to start out seventeen in this, but end up eighteen by the end since her birthday will pass by, from what I'm planning.**

**Another thing. To make things easier to understand (again, I re-read it and I barely understood what was going on), I am going to do separate POV's for some of the characters, really only four. Skye, Marik, Malik, and maybe Bakura once or twice. I may do someone else's at one point, maybe her parents, to give the story more depth. Like maybe do her mom's point of view when she finds out Skye has been kidnapped by Malik, or when Skye's parents and grandma are killed. I might even do little Pandora's, though that seems like it would be a challenge, typing out what a toddler thinks. I'll tell you the changing POV's as I go along, and I'll try to keep one POV a whole chapter, two or three at the most. It depends on the length of the chapter and what's in it. **

**I'm sorry, but everything near the end (besides adding some more stuff and subtracting unnecessary content), it will stay the same! I'm not planning on changing the plotline at the end that much, maybe just a tweak or two. The beginning, however, will be going through a major cleanup, since I was still in seventh grade when I first started this book. I'm going to make the beginning really different, since I had a different vision for how it should begin rather then what I wrote. Also, I realized that Skye sounded a bit like a Mary-Sue, so her character is getting cleaned up a little bit. Some stuff that just doesn't make sense is getting completely changed. **

**You know how in chapter nine, Skye gets, you know, raped. I plan on writing out the scene myself, and like I said in the last chapter of Shadowy Figures, I will use sakura2112's if I can't come up with anything better. Now that I've gotten more experience writing stuff like that, I may give it a shot. You may think that that was the closest I've written to one of those things, but I've written worse. On another writing website (mainly for original fiction), I have this book where a woman gets raped, and I wrote out the ENTIRE scene. I was blushing anytime I worked on it, since I'm not used to writing stuff like that. I'm working on it, and I plan on making it a really good chapter.**

**I have wrote almost a page of my author note O.O. I better get to writing the actual chapter!PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!**

_I slowly blinked open my eyes, yawning and stretching. As my eyes only saw darkness, my stomach dropped. I hadn't woken up at all. I've been thrust into one of Malik's demonic nightmares that he sends me almost every time I sleep. I figured that he would, since tomorrow happens to be one of the busiest days of the school year for me.  
_

_I could hear him before I could see him._

"_Hello, Skye." he chirped in his deep, demonic voice, full of evil and venom._

"_Show yourself." I barked, searching with my eyes to see if I could detect a hint of movement in the dark. _

_I heard him tsk, before his footsteps started to echo throughout wherever we are._

"_Somebody sounds grumpy. What's wrong? Did I make you mad?" he asked sarcastically, before barking out a laugh. _

"_Where are you?" I demanded, scooting back uncomfortably. Was he ahead of me, or behind me? All sounds seemed to come from all of the directions, having no source. _

"_Right here..." he whispered, and I saw his cloudy lavender eyes appear in front of me. The hieroglyphic that shone on his head glowed even brighter in darkness, yet it provided no light as to where I was. _

"_Can't you let me have any sleep whatsoever? I have things to do today." I snapped at him._

_His eyes narrowed at me slightly, obviously not expecting my bitchy comeback. _

"_Skye, I find it all too amusing to see the fear in your eyes when I do this," he said, and I felt something cold graze against my cheek. I jerked back as far as I could, but his eyes seemed to follow me. _

"_Come on, there's something I want to show you." I heard him say, and I felt arms encircle around me as I was hoisted to my feet. _

_Suddenly, light burst from around me, and I winced as I blinked to clear my vision. I couldn't manage to stifle my gasp as my gaze examined the surroundings. We were back in the tombs?!_

"_That isn't even the best part, Skye." he chuckled as he rested his chin on my forehead. I couldn't move out of his iron grasp, so I had no choice but to keep on standing there. _

_Suddenly, I saw everything. I saw Marik's father on the ground in his own pool of blood, I saw Malik standing there, cackling while holding the Millennium Rod, and I saw myself at twelve years old, with chocolate curls that tumbled past my shoulders a few inches, and sapphire eyes, standing all alone. Ishizu had already been knocked against the wall, and was pretty much unconscious._

_Malik's younger self turned to me and smirked. I saw myself cringe in fear, as I was afraid that I would be next to die. _

"_Skye. We finally meet face to face." young Malik said, his twisted smirk still on his face. My younger self's eyes widened slightly._

"_How do you know who I am?" my younger self asked quietly, barely more then a murmur. Her bare feet started to shuffle backwards slowly. _

"_I'm a part of Marik, and I've been able to watch you from his mind as you two have spent time together." young Malik replied, advancing on my younger self._

"_What do you want with me?" younger me asked, her back hitting the wall next to where Ishizu lay. _

"_Don't worry, I've decided that you will not share their fates. Whether they are fulfilled today or not." he said, turning and frowning with disgust as he surveyed the rest of the people in the room._

"_What do you mean?" I asked, my voice a little louder as my curiosity increased._

"_You'll find out in due time. Do you wish to ask anymore questions and watch the rest of the Ishtar family die?" he asked, as he finally made it to my trembling younger self. He trailed the tip of the Millennium Rod down her throat very slowly. _

_My younger self shook her head very quickly. She didn't want to see the rest of them die. They were like family to her._

"_That's what I thought." he growled under his voice as he wound one of her dark curls around the edge of the Millennium Rod. _

_Young me remained silent under his sinister gaze, frightened to look him in the eyes. She tilted her head to the side slightly, her eyes peering at the only wall without someone passed out against it. _

_Present day Malik stood behind me, arms still around me, unmoving as of now. He hasn't spoken a word since this little display has happened. _

_My eyes snapped back to my younger self as she cried, "Don't hurt me!"_

_I heard the younger Malik chuckle._

"_Don't fret over it, Skye. I won't hurt you physically." he said, starting to cackle evilly. _

_I noticed a movement in the background at the same time that my younger self did, and we both watched as Odion's eyes slowly opened._

_My younger self had made it blatantly obvious that she had seen something, so Young Malik had turned around to investigate._

_Odion barely lifted his head up off the ground and barely uttered the words, "Master Marik..." _

_Young Malik screamed, holding his head while dropping the Millennium Rod. My young self took this opportunity to scamper over to Ishizu, who was also just regaining consciousness. _

"_What's happening, Sissy?" my younger self cried as Ishizu sat up. _

"_I'm not sure, Skye." she replied, her gaze over to the pair on the other side of the room._

"_Odion! What did I do!" everyone heard the younger Marik cry, back in his original form. He had collapsed onto his knees, still clutching his head._

"_Master Marik, are you ok?" Odion asked, before the scene slowly started to fade..._

_I was back to being surrounded by darkness. What I had just seen was just a memory, the darkest memory I have. I'd never forget it, either. It was etched into the back of my brain. _

"_Did you enjoy that?" Malik whispered into my ear, and I leaned away from the source of his voice slightly. _

"_Of course. you know, it's only the best memory in the world I was just forced to re-live." I barked out sarcastically, starting to struggle out of his grasp._

"_So feisty..." I heard Malik muse as his grip around me tightened considerately. _

"_Malik, just let me go! I have to get some actual sleep because I have about fifty billion things that I have to do tomorrow." I snapped, not in the mood for his games. I have cheerleading early in the morning, I have a test in three different classes, a project is due in another, I have to go and help set up for the junior high girl's basketball game during last hour, which is during gym, I have to go and make it up by doing two miles on a bike or a treadmill for my teacher, I have to go to basketball practice for another two hours, then I have to go home, do my chores, take my little sister to Grandma's house, go to the store and get groceries, and finally go home and have an epic Disney movie night with Marik, which will probably last until after midnight. It'll be pretty exhausting, which is why I have made that the coffee pot is cleaned and ready for use._

"_Oh, the busy schedule of a senior in high school," he chuckled. "That should be fun to watch." _

"_Shut up! I've had enough of your bullshit already! Now can you please just leave so I can get some quality shut eye?" I growled._

"_Well, since you asked so nicely..." he laughed, before kissing my cheek. "Good night, Skye." _

_I felt his arms disappear, and when I turned around, I didn't see his eyes, either. _

"_He's gone!" I squealed in victory, before my mind switched my dreams to something else._

**I'm just going to cut it off there, because if I actually write what's next, the story will be about ten pages long, and I really don't feel like writing all of that since I'm trying to update as much as I can tonight as possible! I have a little list of what I'm updating in order, so if you read my other stories, Angel of Darkness might be next if I complete it!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I know that this story isn't going to be popular because Yu-Gi-Oh isn't the "it" category of the fanfiction world, but I would still really appreciate it if you aren't a silent reader and review! Thanks to the one person that did review, though! Enjoy your virtual cookie :). **

**For you drawers out there, if you could draw a picture of Skylar with Marik or Malik (or both), I'd really appreciate it. I'm going to attempt to myself, but I doubt it would turn out great. I'd make Skylar too realistic or it just wouldn't turn out good *shakes head*. If you want the fine details on Skye's appearance, just PM me and I'll tell you. If you do this and there is more then one competitor, I will review all of your stories and I will edit or co-write a story with you. You can choose. For second place, I will still review at least once on all of your stories, and if there are actually more then that, I'll deal with that when I get there. Everyone who participates will get at least one of the above, even if there are more then three. I promise! First gets all three options, second gets two, third and lower gets to pick one option. Let the drawing begin! Even though I have a feeling that absolutely nobody will do this, but that's ok too, I guess. It'll get me off my lazy butt to do it myself. **

**Well, enjoy!**

_Malik's POV_

How I enjoyed tonight's visit into Skylar's dreams. To see her beautiful sapphire orbs widen in fear as I do this and that. It doesn't take a whole lot to scare her when you are me. I know that she's terrified of me, and I plan on using that to my full advantage on her, to make her do as I say more easily.

It was even better now that I have my own body. Ryou returned from his vacation, his Yami managed to take over, we combined the powers of both the Millennium Ring and the Millennium Rod to give me my body back, blah blah blah. The point of the story is that I have my own body and this gives me the perfect opportunity to claim Skye. Bakura, for some reason, didn't desire his own body at the present time. I do owe him for that and later on I'd probably have to help him get his own body as well when he so chooses to. Just as long as he doesn't meddle in my affairs any longer.

Skylar won't be happy when she found out I broke away from Marik in his sleep. My poor light; he didn't even stir when I separated from him. He's such a heavy sleeper, for someone who has been through what he has. It's a miracle he sleeps at all. When he wakes up to find out that his Millennium Rod is missing, is when he'll start to panic. And when I don't make comments about this and that during the day, especially when he's around little miss Skylar, his bubbly best friend. I'll generally voice my opinion on her outfit or her hair or if she looks happy or upset. When I'm not there, he'll worry, but he won't tell Skye. He wants to protect her from me, but there's nothing he can do, really. She'll try to fight me off for awhile, knowing her and her personality, but I know how I can break her and make her do as I say. She does have a family, after all.

Even now, I watched her as she slept. After I had left her mind, her body relaxed, and she slept more at peace now. Her brunette curls fell across her bronze skin, slightly covering her face with her rosy lips parted slightly in a silent snore. Her body was sprawled across the bed, barely even under the covers. One of her toned legs and her bare shoulders stood out against the soft yellow of her quilt that her grandmother made her, exposed to the cold draft in her room. I could just see a peek of her short fuzzy pajama bottoms, which was quite a pleasing sight for me. Her arms were wrapped rather tight around a miniature pillow, which looked like an animal, for her a black cat. I've heard of them before... what were they again? Pet pillow? Something along those lines? Why do I even bother thinking such thoughts about a meddlesome pillow!

An annoying buzz broke me out of my ranting, and I glared with irritation at the device that made such a sound. My eyes flickered back to Skylar as I saw her eyes flutter slightly. A soft groan came from between her soft pink lips, and I took that as my cue to blend into the shadows. She doesn't need to know I'm here, at least not yet.

Sleepy sapphire eyes, framed with dark brown lashes, opened up to the world. Her gaze flickered to the alarm clock in annoyance. Her hand reached out from her pillow pet and pressed a button, stopping the annoying beeping. I saw the bright pink of her slightly chipped nail polish as she retreated her hand from the alarm clock and stretched out her arms.

Sitting up, the blanket covering her fell off, revealing a light gray tank top. It was shifted out of the way, revealing ample cleavage that I certainly wasn't complaining about, with no bra in the way.. I frowned slightly when she moved it back into it's proper position on her body.

She yawned, holding a hand to her mouth, hopping out of her bed. Her pajama shorts weren't very modest either, seeing as they were very, very short. I didn't mind at all, seeing Skylar in that sexy little outfit. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant for my eyes to see. She wouldn't wear such things if she knew I was watching her. She only wore them because she was going to bed and she didn't think that anybody would see her. My Skye is better then that, more innocent then that. She certainly isn't a whore, like that Tea girl that I've seen her talk to now and then, with the annoying voice and the talking about how friendship is the best thing ever. I certainly know something better then friendship, but I won't mention it now. Later, but not now.

As soon as her feet sleepily trotted out the door to take a shower, I slipped out of the shadows. Quickly, yet quietly, I darted to her window and hopped out. As much as I'd love to stick around and watch her, I had to get some sleep, seeing as I have my own body to take care of now.

I put the Millennium Rod to good use as I teleported back to the house where I set up shop. Up until I head back to Egypt, with little miss Skylar Rains as my companion, I'll have to stay in this horrid place. It was an unsold house, and it's highly unlikely that it would be sold, seeing as it's an utter piece of shit. This is no place for me, but seeing as I have much work to do before I can put my plan into action, it'll have to do. All I need it for is a place to sleep and eat.

My curly-haired beauty crept into my thoughts, causing me to smile slightly. I enjoy Skylar's real name, but her nickname Skye seems more suited to her personality and her eyes. Her eyes were the color of the deepest blue, dark as the sky when the sun's last rays fell beyond the horizon. The color of sapphires, framed by long dark brown lashes that complemented her eyes perfectly.

My thoughts drifted towards my hikari, Marik, as I sat down on the stolen couch. The stupid neighbors left their house unlocked while going on vacation. Marik is the reason I do not have Skylar with me right now, in my arms. He's been getting in the way of me claiming her as my very own for far too long. It's about time that I truly dispose of my light for good. I can't very well kill him; that'd kill me as well. Even though we are in separate bodies now, our souls are still connected, and if one of us dies, both of us do. The most I can to do him is banish him to the farthest reaches of the Shadow Realm, a point where he can't even haunt this world anymore. It's not exactly what I want, but it's good enough. Then I can finally claim what is rightfully mine. The beautiful light to my darkness; Skylar Rains, Marik's secret crush. The fool thought that he could get away with having feelings for _MY_ Skylar?! He must be a complete moron. An idiot. Of course, Skye has feelings for him as well, I knew that much, and it made my blood boil. I've entered her mind enough to have read her thoughts. I'm not sure exactly what he did to earn her trust and love, but I'll be sure to let her know that those kinds of feelings won't be allowed when she becomes mine. Permanently and utterly mine.

I have a plan, otherwise I would've taken her as she slept. But, the plan is not to take place yet. It wasn't time. But the time is soon. The time is soon, and then I'll have my bronze-skinned Egyptian goddess with me for good.

_Skylar's POV_

After I had taken a shower to wake myself up, I trudged downstairs, where the coffee was brewing. The smell itself perked me up, but nothing would wake me up like a nice hot cup of the beverage. Sugar and creamer added, of course.

As I quickly gulped down a cup, I paid no mind to the possible burns on my tongue. It'd only take away my taste buds for a couple of days, and that doesn't really matter.

My nightmare still lingered on my mind as I went about the rest of my morning routine. Damn Malik and his mind games! He took away what little sleep I could've gotten! Is this what he really finds pleasure in?! Oh I hope he burns in Hell for all eternity! I feel awful for Marik, though. He's the one who has to share a body with the damn bastard.

I sleepily continued my morning routine, sorting out my hair and gathering my school bags. With ten minutes to spare, I took off out the door, frosted doughnut in one hand and my car keys in the other. My car was a smaller car, but it was a car and it worked, so I'm not complaining about it. Sure, it has a few dings here and there, but I absolutely refused to get a new car, no matter how much my parents offered it. I have... how do you put it? Bad driving habits? Let's just say I've hit things before and they've hit me.

Cheerleading practice came and went uneventfully. We worked on our dances for State and we found out our cheer coach was pregnant. After putting on my outfit I had packed for school; a pair of loose dark blue jeans, a zebra belt, and a bright green shirt with the shoulders cut off, I grabbed my Ugg boots and put them on, shoving the ends of my jeans in them. They were the shorter ones that had the button on them and were tan and furry. I placed my hair back into a bun, too tired and lazy to style it any more elaborately then that. I applied a little bit of eyeliner and foundation to try to cover the circles under my eyes, but that was really all I had time for, since the bell to let us into the main building rang.

I didn't even get to tell Marik about my nightmare until lunchtime, because I very well can't tell him about these kinds of things in the middle of class! What if other kids were to hear? They'd think I was crazy (to be honest, I think I might be). Besides, the only people in our lunch mod that actually sit with us are Yugi, Joey, my friend Allaina, and Tristan. They already know who Malik is and what he's done, so they are familiar with the subject when I brought it up as we ate our chicken patty's.

"It must suck, having a psychotic stalker." Allaina mused as she took a bite of an apple. Her hair, brown in darkness and gold in the sun, hung in her face slightly, covering her very-blue eyes, shades lighter then mine. They were drawn on me intensely. "And, I know this is random, but I can still hear your Egyptian accent when you talk."

"I lived in Egypt until I was almost thirteen, Lainey. I'm probably stuck with this accent for the rest of my life. Oh, and it does suck, Lainey. It really does. To be honest, I'm scared." I bleakly exclaimed, tucking a stray hair behind my ear and back into the bun. Of course I'm going to have an accent! Hell, my little sister even has an accent just because both me and my parents have one. It's a pretty heavy accent, since I grew up in Egypt and my parents are full-blooded Egyptians. I have the skin and the blood records to prove it.

"I don't blame you. He's giving you these horrid nightmares and to be honest, I'm scared of him." she said, gesturing to herself. Her being scared of him is quite a statement, considering she's one of the school's top lifters and she can probably split him in half. Allaina's big, in a way, but not fat-big, just muscular big. You can tell that she's made of muscle, because she doesn't jiggle at all. Besides her humongous boobs that I'll forever torment her about.

"The nightmares stopped happening for a long time. Honestly, I thought that he finally gave up and decided to stop bothering me." I admitted sadly as I poked at my corn with my fork, my head resting on my free hand. So what if I use a fork to eat corn? Maybe I forgot a spoon and Allaina is too big of a meanie-face to give me her extra spoon because she accidentally grabbed two! AND I HOPE YOU HEARD THAT ALLAINA!

Marik chuckled humorlessly and shook his head, sandy-blonde hair falling in his face.

"That isn't Malik's style." he said in a gruff voice, taking a sip of chocolate milk. "To be quite honest, it surprises me that he left you alone at all. Whenever I'm around you, you're all that he will talk about." By the honesty in his voice, I knew he wasn't lying. And that's kind of horrible.I couldn't help but blush a little bit at that. Why Malik is so obsessed with me is honestly baffling. Yes, I know I'm pretty. I'm not one of those OMG I'M SO UGLY emo kind of girls you are seeing nowadays that literally beg for attention. I know I'm attractive and I'm damn proud of it! But other then that, with this sick of an obsession to haunt my dreams, I'm not quite sure why he thinks I'm so damn special. Perhaps it's because I was there back when we used to live in Egypt? I guess that's a possibility. I mean, Marik and I have been friends since we were around eight. Maybe some of that friendship rubbed off on Malik and he took it as a love connection or something. Whatever it is, I can't think of a way to make it stop. I am just praying that he doesn't get his own body, because if he does, I'm basically screwed in every sense of the word. Yes, I'm perfectly aware that he'll probably rape me if he has his own body, and that thought _terrifies _me. I am perfectly happy keeping my innocence intact, thank you very much. I'd prefer if it'd stay that way.

Hiding my embarrassment with a fake cough, I said, "That doesn't really surprise me. What's he saying about me?" I asked out of curiosity. Everybody else leaned forward slightly, anticipating Marik's words.

"Now?" he asked. "He isn't saying anything. This is honestly the first time that he's been quiet around you." Marik said. I raised an eyebrow and Yugi looked... weird.

"What's wrong, Yugi? You look funny." I commented as I took a delicate bite of chocolate cake. His violet gaze flickered over to me, and the weird look on his face immediately vanished. What? Did he think I couldn't handle the truth? I'm a big girl, I can handle big people problems. Man does this piss me off. Oh, well. I'll just bug Marik about this whole situation later on. He'll be stuck with me the whole night anyways.

"Are you calling me ugly, Skye?" Yugi asked, causing all of us to burst out in gidy laughter. We all really needed a good laugh, to release the tension that we could easily cut through with a knife.

Everything continued on normally (well, as normal as it gets around here), and none of us were aware of the horrors that were coming.

**I hoped that the people actually reading liked this, I tried working really hard on it, so please review and tell me what you think! I really appreciate feedback, since it helps me improve as a writer and that's just my main goal. Shooting for the stars, right here :). Well, I'm going to go to bed now, so REVIEW!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow! Thanks to the 2 people that reviewed, if I'm correct. I hope that you enjoy this, and please review again!**

**Thanks to clairissazeniarosele for offering to draw Skylar for me! I really appreciate it, and please check her stories out!**

The rest of the school day dragged by, minute by excruciating minute. I'm positive I failed my science test, since I haven't had the time to study for it.

Basketball was very brutal today, because some girls decided to get snippity with the coaches, and since we are a "team", we all have to run for it. In a way, it means more conditioning, in another it sucks a whole lot. Ever heard of Big Daddy's? They aren't something you want to have the pleasure of experiencing. Let's just say that those girls that mouthed off are pretty much the most hated people on the team now.

At home, I threw myself in the shower, grabbed a bite to eat, and left again, this time to the grocery store because Momma-dearest forgot to restock the kitchen before both of my parents left on a vacation to Colorado. At least they had the decency to take Pandora to Grandma's so I don't have to watch her. My little sister looks a lot like me, with the same eyes and the same curls. Her curls are pitch-black, though, the color of my dad's hair. She's two, and she's about the cutest thing you'll ever see. She doesn't talk much, but she has a pretty good vocabulary for her age.

So here I am, standing in the breakfast aisle, trying to choose between Frosted Flakes or Wheaties. Both are delicious, but I could only get one, since I'm on a limited budget. Mom and Dad gave me only a little bit of money, enough for gas and food this week, just so I won't go shopping. Pretty stupid since I just got new clothes and I won't need new ones for awhile, but this was late last night and I was too tired to argue.

A sudden voice behind me caused me to jump and spin around, about dropping the cereal clutched in my hands.

"Dear God, Marik! Don't scare me like that!" I gasped as he smirked at me, hands shoved in his leather jacket. He wore a pair of long, tan pants, and what I'm assuming to be a dark blue tank-top. His smirk didn't reach his eyes, and I could clearly see the worry in them, just from knowing him for so long. I could read Marik like a book.

"Whatcha doing?" he asked, looking over my shoulder at the cereal boxes in my hands.

"Getting laid. What does it look like? I'm picking out cereal, obviously." I said sarcastically, waving the cereal in his face. Waiting for a childish reaction in three... two...

"You're a meanie, Skye!" Marik pouted, sticking out his tongue at me. Told you so.

"Does it look like I care?" I asked, smirking at him as I tossed the Wheaties into the cart and placed the Frosted Flakes back on the shelf.

"Why didn't you get the Frosted Flakes?" Marik whined as I started pushing the cart down the aisle. "Maybe I wanted to eat some later!""I don't care." I grumbled at him as I turned a corner. Ok, so I was in a little bit of a pissy mood. I'm sleep-deprived, starving (I only ate a granola bar, which does _nothing_), and I haven't had the best of days. Knowing me, I'll probably apologize for it later on.

"Skylar, Skylar," Marik said, shaking his head. "Whenever will you admit your feelings for me?" he asked wistfully, tossing an arm over my shoulder. Rolling my eyes, I shrugged off his stupid arm and continued walking. He probably just used my real name to piss me off.

"What feelings?" I snorted, yet I was lying all the same. Ok, so maybe I had a little crush on him. I mean, you would to, if you had a sexy best friend that constantly tries flirting with you just to tease you! Did I just call him sexy?

"Your feelings that you obviously have for me! Admit it, sweetheart, you're head over heels in love with me!" Marik declared, before he starts to play with my hair. I had left it down after my shower to help it dry faster, and it was still pretty wet, so my curls weren't quite as bouncy as they generally were.

"Remember that whole don't-play-with-my-hair rule I made up when we were like, eight?" I asked him as he wound a curl around one of his fingers, pulling on it slightly.

"Yeah, why?" he asked, releasing the curl from his finger.

"Because, if you don't stop playing with my hair, I'm going to personally make your life a living Hell." I threatened. "And don't give me that look, you know I could totally do it."

His "look" dropped from his face immediately, and he took a small step away from me."That's what I thought. Now, unless you want to stay and help me get tampons, I suggest you do whatever it was you were doing before you started bugging me. Go along, shoo!" I swatted him with my hand.

Marik, apparently not finding that funny, coughed, his cheeks turning a light pink. Using this as a distraction, I took off, laughing all the way. I didn't really need to get tampons, it was just so funny to embarrass him. I couldn't resist.

Come to think of it, I've been a bit of a bitch to him today. Maybe I should apologize... nah, I will when I'm done shopping.

After picking up some Ramen noodles and apples, I headed towards the check-out line, which happened to be packed. Hey, let's install over twenty registers and only open four! That sounds like a swell idea! *sarcasm*

Since I had to wait awhile, I pulled out my cell phone to text Marik.

_Why must check-out lines be soooo long?! _I text/whined, hitting send. After not even a minute, my phone dinged.

_Just so they can hear you whine about it. _he replied. Ok, meanie-face. It's on.

_Damn. I thought it was because of your oh-so-beautiful woman hair. _I replied. Hit below the belt, maybe. But do I care? Nah, not right now. I can be a bitch (as you've already seen), and now I'm just emphasizing it.

_You're just jealous, Ski ;D. _

I raised an eyebrow. Ski? That's a new one.

_Ski? Really? _I asked, before stuffing my phone in my pocket and pushing my cart forward. Luckily, cereal, ramen noodles, and apples are all I really need, since we have almost a full gallon of milk and I can always go to Subway or something.

It wasn't till after I paid and walking out of the store with my bags in my free hand that I checked my phone. Marik had texted back.

_We always call you Skye or Skylar. Why not Ski? _

I rolled my eyes and put my phone back in my pocket, intent on answering him once I was in my car.

Of course, I just had to run into somebody and about break my ass on the cement.

Barely managing to keep a hold of my bags, I glanced up to see who I ran into. It looked to be a guy, around my age, with average looks and short blonde hair. That didn't set me off. What did was his eyes. They were cloudy lavender, the same shade as Malik's.

Taking a shaky breath, I stood up as I said, "I'm sorry, I should've been watching where I was going."

"It's fine." the man replied, gazing into my eyes with a strange intensity that told me I should probably hit the road. Hell, even his voice sounded the same! How? This is impossible! Marik's had control for such a long time, how could he just hand it over like that? And besides, how was he able to change his appearance? I didn't think that the Millennium Rod did that. What's the point? I'm going to recognize him (obviously). Why go through the trouble?As I turned to leave, he grabbed a hold of my arm. Time to panic? I think yes.

"I never caught your full name miss." Malik said. Full name? He already knows my full name. Is this some sort of mind game or what, because this is really confusing the Hell out of me. I better answer him, because I was starting to tremble, and my car was only a few spaces away. Maybe if I make it there, he won't be able to catch me. Does he even know where I live? More then likely, but there's that small possibility that he doesn't. I'll have to cling onto that hope and try to get myself out of this mess.

"Skylar Rains." I breathed out, before managing to yank my arm out of his grasp and vaulted myself towards my car.

He followed me, because as soon as I got my keys out of my pocket, I was turned and slammed against the door.

Dropping the facade, he looked just as he normally did, with the weird clothes and the spiky hair.

"Surprised?" he asked, smirking at me. I blinked slowly at him for a moment, before shaking my curls out of my face and replying.

"Just a bit." I snapped back at him. As you may have been able to tell, I am not very amused by this. Why can't Marik take control again so I can go home?

"Marik can't take control again, Skylar." Malik said, leaning in _dangerously _close to my face. "Yes he can!" I snarled back. "He's strong enough to." "It's not that, Skye," he said, smirking at my dumbfounded expression. We were now so close, I could almost feel him speak the words as he said them. "Are you wondering why I was silent all day?" "Wait, how did you know about...?" I started to ask, but he pressed his lips against mine quickly, causing me to grow silent. Too shocked to do much else but stand there, it took me a little bit to comprehend what he said after he broke apart.

"I'm my own person now, babe. Consider yourself all mine now." he smirked at me, pressing another peck to my lips before backing away.

"I'll leave you alone for now," he said, before a twisted grin covered his face. "I'll be back later."

And with that, he disappeared in a weird little puff of smoke.

Shaking my head and panting, I quickly glanced around to see if Marik was in the parking lot. I had to talk to him, and talk to him NOW!

No Marik, but there were a lot of curious by-standers that were giving me weird looks. Since I'm a big girl, I ignored them and quickly unlocked my car, throwing the bags in the backseat and climbing in, locking myself in.

Pulling out my cell phone, I immediately dialed Marik's number and held the phone to my ear, praying that he picks up. "Please pick up, Marik!" I hissed into the phone after it rang a couple of times without him answering. "Please!"

"Hello?" he finally answered in confusion.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME MALIK HAD A SEPARATE BODY?!" I screeched into the phone. Hearing him wince, I lowered the volume, but continued. "Why didn't you tell me something was up?!"

"I was going to tell you tonight! What did he do?!" he asked (more like demanded) into the phone.

"Well, he disguised himself for some reason, and I accidentally ran into him, and shit just went down from there!" I cried into the phone, resting my head in my hands and groaning. Fear and panic surged up and down my body, not helping the fact that I have to drive in a little bit.

"Skylar, I'm just about to pay for my things, I'll be out there in less then a minute. Where are you parked?" he asked as I heard the ruffle of bags and the sound of the clerk in the background.

Leaning my head up, I tucked a piece of hair behind my ear and looked around. Spotting his bike the next row over, I said, "The row directly across from your bike. You know what my car looks like."

Without saying goodbye, Marik hung up, and I assumed that he was about to sprint out of the store.

Sure enough, here he comes, holding a few bags and running as fast as his legs could carry him towards my car.

I had that feeling again. Something bad's going to happen, I just know it.

**I hope you liked this! REVIEW!**


	4. Chapter 4

**It's me!Nobody reviewed last chapter! THE HORRORRRR!**

**Nah, I suppose I don't mind, I mean I'd like reviews since they give me less excuses not to update since I can tend to procrastinate, but if you don't like the story enough to review, that's ok too. If you have corrections, please feel free to tell me. I'm a big girl, I can take criticism. **

**Also, to clairissaveniarosele, I MENTIONED YOU AGAIN! Your messages make me laugh. And yes, that is my first name. You should know what I'm talking about ;D. And I really probably won't do roleplaying at all, since I will admit nobody knows I even know about Yu-Gi-Oh. I have read the magna and I have seen the Abridged series, but I have seen very little of the actual anime. I've seen the Battle City part, but I don't have a clue about how those duels work! Uh-oh, I'm in trouble. How am I going to do that later in the story?! Meh, I'll figure it out when I get there.**

**Sorry, I tend to ramble. Let's get on with the story, shall we?**

**Also, I am taking down the rough draft after I save it onto my computer, so that'll be in a few days. If you have only read this story, do NOT read the rough draft, because it will technically spoil the ending since I'm not changing the actual ending besides your basic edits. I am going to add a lot more to the last chapter then what is there, but the ending ending stays the same. So... yeah. Don't read that.**

**Enjoy!**

_Skylar's POV_

"Yeah," I said into the phone, tapping my fingers on the kitchen counter. "Mom, no, you don't need to cancel! You enjoy your trip with Dad!" I ran my fingers through my hair, sighing softly in frustration. My mother is where I get my stubbornness from. When we argue, it's a disaster. Just ask my dad.

You see, she's insisting on going home early to make sure Malik doesn't try anything. I insisted that it would do no good; if Malik wanted to do something, he would. No matter whoever is with me. My dad agrees with her, no matter how much I insisted.

"You guys are already down there!" I said, walking out of the kitchen. I was using the home phone, since my cell phone is charging in my room. Marik's here, though he's in the bathroom, doing God knows what. I was busy arranging the movies when Mom called to check up on me. She knew about Malik and was shocked (and scared) when I told her what happened at the store. She immediately told my dad, who then started freaking out (I could still hear him in the background).

"But, honey, this is your safety we are talking about! We cannot just enjoy ourselves on vacation while your life is in danger!"

I thought that was preposterous, since Malik wouldn't technically kill me. He'd do horrible things, yes, but not kill me. But I'm not going to say that, since it'll make her freak out even more.

"But Mom," I sighed, plopping down on the couch. "You've been planning this for weeks! I'd feel awful if I was the reason you cancelled it, and if nothing happens, I'd feel even more awful." I explained to her, playing with one of my curls with my free fingers.

"Skylar Valentine Rains, I thought I told you that I don't care about the stupid vacation! If it means keeping you safe, I'll willingly come home right now!" Mom insisted through the phone, and I heard the zipping of her bag.

"Mom, please! You never get to have any vacations, and I don't want to ruin this one! Marik and I will figure something out, and until I tell you differently, stay put!" I said into the phone, tugging on the curl.

"Are you sure?" she asked, uncertainty in her voice. "The minute you call, I'm coming home." "Ok, Mom." I sighed again. "I love you. Tell Daddy I love him too.""I love you too, Skye. Be safe." she replied back, and I heard the tears in her voice.

"I will." I promised, though it would be a tough promise to keep. I will try, mark my words. I will try. If anything, I make sure I try my hardest at everything I want to achieve.

"Bye, Mommy." I said into the phone, sniffling slightly. See? Talking to her has gotten me all emotional.

"Bye, Skye." she replied, before we both hung up.

Sighing and setting the phone on the coffee table, I rested my elbows on my knees and placed my head into my hands. Why must this happen to me?! All I wanted to do was live my life as best as I could, normal or not. I wanted to settle down with someone someday, with kids and a house out in the country. Well, that's what I want, anyways. Looks like my life might take another turn, if I can't do anything about it.

Groaning, I sat up and started my shuffle back to the kitchen when I figured I deserved a homemade Rice Krispie treat. No, when I'm sad/scared/depressed, I don't eat ice cream or do anything normal. I eat homemade rice krispie treats.

My eyes glued to the hook for the home-phone, since the message light was blinking. Hmm... didn't think anyone called when I was talking to Mom.

Pressing on the button, I walked away from the counter to go find a knife to cut the marshmallow treats with.

"Hello, Skylar." his voice said.

I spun around, butter knife in hand, to see no one in the kitchen. My eyes clued on the blinking message light.

"I just wanted to tell you sweet dreams!" he chirped happily, before a beep ended it.

I gasped out in shock and about dropped the butter knife. Sweet dreams?! He's going to invade my dreams again?! What is he going to do this time?!Only one thing (well, person) could probably help me out.

"Marik!"

**Sorry it's short and kind of sucky, but I need to get to bed! REVIEW!**


	5. Chapter 5

"Marik... are you ok?!" I asked in concern once he came into view. His face had a pale parlor, and his shoulders were slightly slumped, a feat that regular Marik would never allow.

"Fine. Why'd you call me in here?" he asked. I pointed towards the answering machine. "Listen," I urged, pressing the button again, before tuning out completely. Do not listen, do not listen... holy crap I'm a hypocrite. I told him to listen yet I won't listen myself.

After it was over, I don't think I saw another face change colors so quickly. Besides my dad's, when I thought it would be funny to tell him I lost my virginity. I was only joking, since I still have my V-card, but

he didn't find it very funny. His face morphed from red, purple, blue green, and some sort of fuchsia color.

"I need to make a phone call. Can I borrow your phone?" he asked, extending his hand. I handed the phone to him quickly, before returning my attention to the Rice Krispie treats. I really have to kick that addiction.

Saying fuck it, I grabbed the pan and a fork and wandered back into the living room. If Marik wanted any, he better hurry up with that phone call, because I'm starving and these are absolutely mouthwatering.

Before my feast could begin, the doorbell rang.

"Of f*cking course!" I muttered under my breath, placing (slamming) the pan and my fork on the coffee table. "What is it now?"

Heaving myself off of the couch, I adjusted my shirt as I made my way to the door.

Opening the door, I peeked out, before ultimately panicking and slamming it open all of the way. There was Ryou (is it with or without the u?), panting and clinging to the side of the house.

"You... you..." he started, before he started to collapse. I reacted quickly, catching him and supporting most of his body weight as I helped him into the living room.

"Ryou! What happened?!" I asked him as I eased him onto the couch. I regretted my grouchiness earlier, realizing it wasn't necessary.

"Bakura... took over... Malik..." he managed to get out, before passing out completely.

"Marik!" I called frantically, leaping up. How do I wake him up?! Ok, Skylar, focus. Can't panic now. But how should I go about it? The old cold water trick? Let him wake up on his own? Gently urge him up, like you try to wake someone up in the morning?! Options, options...

"I have to go... Ryou? What's he doing here? And why is he passed out?!" Marik asked, hanging up on whoever he was talking to.

"Quick, Marik! He was about to tell me something about Malik!" I said, starting to pace frantically.

"Skye, we just need to take a deep breath, and relax. We'll try waking him up on our own, and we'll just have to figure something else out if that doesn't work." Marik said in a soothing tone. Doing as he said, I took a deep breath, relaxing my shoulders.

"Ok, Marik." I said, starting over to the couch.

Reaching out, I placed my hands on Ryou's shoulders, shaking him gently.

"Ryou... Ryou... wake up, Ryou." I urged quietly, into his ear. "Come on, Ryou."

"Unnnggg... Skye?" he asked, his eyes fluttering open. "What... what happened?"

Sitting up from the position he had slumped into, he rubbed his head, looking around in confusion. "Did I faint?"

I nodded, saying, "Yeah, you did. Do you need anything?"

Ok, so when people are hurt, I can get pretty... fraternal? Is that the word? Motherly is more like it. My motherly instinct kicks in when I see people hurt. Bad or good? I don't know.

"Some water and Tylenol would be nice." he said, wincing slightly. "Man, am I out of energy!"

"There's some Rice Krispies right there. Just use the fork." I instructed. "Nothing beats those." With a small smile, it seemed to sooth him slightly, causing him to smile weakly back.

"You remind me of my mother, Skye." he said as I turned to go out the door.

Blushing slightly, I turned back around, saying, "Thank you, I guess."

With a warning glare at Marik, who was looking at Ryou with displeasure written on his face, I pranced to the bathroom, digging out the pain meds. After that, I flashed into the kitchen to grab a water bottle and a damp wash cloth.

"Here." I said in a quiet, soothing voice. "This should help."He hadn't touched the marshmallow treats, but he did take the medicine and water bottle from me gratefully.

I pushed on his shoulders, making enough room for me to sit down, then propped him over my lap, so I could effectively pat at his head with the wash cloth. "You're burning up, Ryou."

"What was it you were saying before you passed out?" Marik asked coldly, glaring at us on the couch. He didn't drop it when I shot him a questioning look. Shrugging it off, I dapped the wash cloth on his head.

"Malik is planning on kidnapping Skye!" Ryou blurted out suddenly. "You have to get her out of here tonight!"

"What?" I asked, shocked. "I can't just leave!"

Ryou and Marik gave me identical, irritated glances. I would've laughed if it weren't for the present situation.

"Skye, I already called my sister. She said that we can come over to Egypt and stay with them until we have this whole mess sorted out!" Marik stated, crossing his arms over his chest.

"But, what about school and sports? If I leave, I'll lose my starting spot on Varsity!"

Immediately, I realized how selfish the whole starting spot thing sounded, so I took that back. "Well, I suppose the starting spot thing doesn't matter, but I can't just abandon school! And what about my sister and my parents? And my grandma? My cousins will never take me in if they realized I had a psychotic demon on my tail."

"Your parents will agree, and your sister will come with us." Marik replied.

"It's for the best." Ryou added. I pressed the wash cloth against his forehead and sighed, brushing Ryou's damp hairs out of the way.

"I'll have to call the school and tell them that I'll be gone. And I'll have to explain to Pandora why we are visiting Egypt again, even though we just went this summer." I said. "Do we really have to leave tonight?"

"It would work out a whole lot easier that way, Skye." Marik said. "I'll go buy our tickets while you pack. We'll call your grandma and pick Pandora up on the way to the airport."

"Can I at least think about it for a little?" I asked, placing the wash cloth aside and turning my head towards Marik fully. "This could take weeks to solve."

"I'll give you five minutes."

"Dirt-bag."

Stroking Ryou's hair since it reminded me of a cat (with Ryou blushing and Marik glaring), I was deep in thought. So deep in thought, I didn't notice a shadow in the corner, watching. I thought it was just a shadow. I'm really stupid, aren't I?


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm back! Thanks to the one person (clarissazeniarosele) that reviewed, and I hope that I can get some more! I really want to make this story more popular, so if you have any friends or anybody that would be interested in this story, please tell them about it. **

**The cover goes to clarissazeniarosele as well, she did an amazing job on it, so please go onto deviantart (her username is the same) and comment on it since it's posted on there as well, and PM her on here if you want to. Just thank her, since I can't enough.**

**And seriously. Is Ryou with or without the u? I don't know!**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

"How much should I pack?" I asked Marik as I placed the big gym bag I use for track (track takes up a lot of room). He looked at it, judging its size, before turning back to me, lavender eyes flickering with an imperceptible emotion. "What happened to that huge suitcase that Pandora was able to fit into?" Marik asked in a monotone voice as he surveyed my closet. Mainly brightly-colored clothing hung in there, with a few dark tops and skirts hanging on hangers. Piled messily underneath was an assortment of shoes, some probably not even having matches. I haven't bothered to go through them in such a long time, it became... messy. I try to be neat, really I do, but sometimes, I just can't help but be sloppy.

The aforementioned suitcase was one of those really fancy ones, colored tan with white flowers all over it. Marik wasn't joking when he mentioned Pandora fitting into it. A couple of months ago, when I just got it, Pandora decided to be cute and try to fit into there so she could scare me. Trust me, it worked. I about beat the daylight out of her for that, but Mommy thought it was oh-so-funny, so she got off the hook while I got yelled at for getting mad at her. What can I say? I hate it when people scare me. But can you blame me, really?

"It's all the way in the back!" I complained, carefully stepping over my massive pile of shoes and ducking under the hanging clothing. My closet extended beyond the door a few feet on both sides, which actually made an excellent hiding spot when playing hide-and-go-seek. Just ask my sister, she'll tell you.

"Get it! We can use the gym bag for Pandora." Marik said, tossing said pretty pink gym bag back onto the bed as I emerged with the humungous suitcase barely lifted off of the ground. I am fast, but not the strongest person in the world.

"Should I try and stuff my entire wardrobe in here?" I asked semi-sarcastically as I shoved the gym bag aside and placing the suitcase on the bed, unzipping it.

"I'd attempt it. I have to run home and grab some clothing of my own. Ryou is still in the kitchen, I think. If anything happens at all, scream as loud as you can. Actually, I should make him come in here..." Marik said, starting for the door, causing me to lunge out and grab his tanned arm. He can't take away this one private moment; who knows when I'll have another? I need to cherish this. For some reason, I'm not worried at all about Malik trying anything. It's one of those gut feelings you just know is right.

"I can pack on my own. If something starts to creep me out, I'll holler." I muttered in a grumpy tone. If you can tell, I am very tired and I want to go to sleep as soon as possible. "Go pack. How are we even going to get to Egypt by plane?""We're taking a plane to New York, from there into Europe, then into Egypt. We'll have to drive a little bit to get to our hometown, but it shouldn't be more then a couple of hours." he explained. "I had Ryou buy the tickets a little bit ago and call your parents. Gotta keep him busy somehow."

"Gotcha." I replied. Glancing around the room to see what I wanted to pack, I realized that I probably needed to tell Marik to lay off of Ryou. It's like Marik thinks that he's my boyfriend and Ryou is trying to flirt with me or something along the lines of that. I dunno, I've never really dated before.

It's not that I haven't ever liked boys enough to want to, it's just... I'm scared. Scared that Malik would try something, do something to hurt them or me. I could never let that happen. I remember my sophomore year, when this kid named Melvin (**No, not a Yugioh Abridged reference. I just didn't feel like thinking up of another name) **tried asking me out for the fifth time (I counted) and flipped when I rejected him. Again. To be fair, I explained to him that it certainly wasn't him. I ended up making up something about my parents not allowing me to date. I hate lying, but I can't tell Melvin the truth! He'd think I'm nuts! Besides, he wouldn't be able to keep it a secret. I absolutely do not want the whole entire school to know that I have a psychotic, murdering, sociopathic stalker on my heels.

Dear God, I have to stop thinking about this. Now, to try to get my brain back on packing... I can't forget my sweatpants or my favorite pair of jeans, of course. I'll just empty my underwear and sock drawers. And I suppose I don't have to take every single shirt I own. Maybe I'll just take my absolute favorites, finish packing everything else, and if there's still room, I'll add a couple more. Yeah, that sounds about right.

"I'll come back as soon as possible," Marik promised, startling me because I practically ignored him the past five minutes. He started to walk out of the room, hands shoved into his pockets. The expression on his face made me raise my eyebrows and study him apprehensively. He's been very funny since Ryou came over... Though I can't quite place my finger on what it is that makes me feel uneasy about it. That's what has me so worried, since I can generally read Marik's emotions through his eyes. I just can't get this one for some reason.

"Pick up Pandora on the way back!" I hollered down the hallway when I realized that he had exited the room.

"Got it!" he shouted back as I heard his feet clomp down the stairs. _Clomp, clomp, clomp..._

I rubbed my eyes and yawned widely, sighing when I realized how much packing I actually had to do. I have my sister to think about too! She has quite a few clothes over at Grandma's, so I'll just have to pack the rest of it. Then there'll be another bag for our toiletries, like toothpaste and shampoo.

What I would give for a day off to just sit around and not worry about this. But I have a feeling that that isn't going to happen any time soon.

**I'm sorry it's kind of short! I still have other obligations to worry about and I'm just tired as hell. Nightie night people! Sweet dreams! REVIEW!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey! Sorry for no updates in a bit, but I've been busy and this story is, I'll admit, not on the very top of my list. When I get done with my story Taken Away (if you are a fan of Vampire Kisses and are a Jagger/Raven supporter, check it out), I'll probably update more on here. **

**Thank you thank you thank you to BTC who gave me such a good review! Thank you for both the compliments and the corrections! I know that the whole her parents leaving her behind thing didn't make sense, but you'll understand in the next few chapters. Also, as I've mentioned before, Malik didn't take her when he watched her sleep because he has a plan. It doesn't make sense, I know. But I hope that you enjoy this chapter!**

**Also, I fixed up chapter five since fanfiction sometimes deletes the spacing, so it should be easier to read now. **

**ENJOY EVERYONE!**

_Screaming. _

_That's all I heard, in this eternal pit of darkness I had fallen in. I was actually still falling; a never-ending feeling of rushing downwards. As it was dark, I didn't know where the bottom was. Maybe I was in an abyss..._

"_Far from it, actually." _

_Damn. I should've guessed this was his doing. I must've fallen asleep. I can remember getting into the car, greeting Ishizu and Odion, and nothing more. _

_The jolt of freezing suddenly startled me slightly. I hadn't hit the ground at all. I just stopped falling. My eyes still detected no hint of light, as most of his nightmares started out as. In the back of my mind, I idly wondered what he'd do this time. _

_My feet found solid ground, and I stood up slowly, unsure of whether the ground was safe. You could never really know with Malik, could you?_

_From touch, I guessed that I was in the same clothes I had been traveling in (baggy sweatpants, old t-shirt of Marik's I sto- ehem, borrowed), and that my hair was pulled up as I hadn't felt up to dealing with the messy disorder that was my curls._

"_Evening Sunshine!" I heard him say happily (well, as happy as Malik gets)._

_I figured out where he was when I felt his arms wrap themselves around my waist and his face nuzzle in my neck. The sudden movement made me jump in surprise._

_The sudden thought that he knew where I was came to me, and I pulled away from him, the sudden movement startling him enough to let me go. Or, he actually let me go. It could be either, really. I still couldn't see him when I spun around to where he had been standing. His low growl echoed through... wherever we were. _

"_In all honesty, I didn't even have to guess where you went, hon." he spoke slowly, as if explaining this to a child. "You are far too predictable." _

_Why did I return to Egypt, anyways? This could very well be the most dangerous place for me right now, yet I return. I spend the summers here anyways, you'd think I'd be sick of the place. _

"_Too bad you aren't a part of Marik anymore. Then you could've stopped us from leaving in the first place!" I snapped back, realizing afterwards that I really shouldn't have mouthed off to him. He is in control of this dream after all; he can do whatever he wants. How I know that these are his doings? Well, in my dreams that my own mind comes up with, there is something different about them. The way they make me feel and the way I remember them in the morning. And anyways, Malik always points out that the nightmares are from him. That should be a red light right there. _

"_Our old hometown? You honestly wanted to go back there?" he asked, and I felt the vague sense of movement in front of me. Though I couldn't see, I could feel his presence in the area._

"_I'm not sure what brought me to go back." I said quietly in admittance, my eyes drawn to the ground. "It wasn't my idea." _

_"Oh, that's right! It was Marik's, wasn't it? Though, Bakura's lighter side didn't help at all." I could almost feel Malik frown. "I'll have to work on that."_

"_Don't you dare touch Ryou!" I snarled at him, my eyes searching the darkness desperately for any sign of him. _

"_Defensive about Ryou, are we sweetheart? My my, how interesting..." he trailed off. His voice seemed to come from everywhere. _

"_Ryou's my friend, and I protect my friends." I stated in a much calmer voice. I need to calm myself down and prepare for whatever's coming. Freaking out now means I'll freak out even more later._

"_All of them? Even Yugi and his gang?" he asked, skepticism in his voice. "What about the blonde one? Allaina, was it?"_

"_You really need to quit stalking me." I grumbled. I was irritated at the fact that he knows about Allaina, and, though she knows that this happened, she was never a part of it and I want it to stay that way. Allaina's tough, mind you, but this is Malik we're talking about here._

"_Stalking is such a strong word, Skye. I'd prefer observing." he stated. "There was nothing better to do in Marik's mind. I figured I might as well occupy my thoughts with the most beautiful woman I've ever cared to look at." _

"_How sweet!" I spat out sarcastically. "Now do whatever in the hell you came to do so I can wake up and forget about all of this!" _

"_Well, since you asked..." he said, making my insides turn with uneasiness. I knew that tone of voice._

_My uneasiness was not misplaced when I felt myself shoved onto my back, his legs straddling mine to keep them in place and his hands on my arms. All in all, I was pretty much stuck._

_I couldn't detect even the glowing eye on his forehead in the blackness. Had he meant it to be that dark to scare me?_

_I yelped when I felt his lips against my neck, struggling as best as I could in my current predicament. As in... not very much. _

"_You smell like spring," he murmured against my neck. "Like the flowers at the field you showed Marik when you two first moved here." _

_Ah. So he remembers the flower bed I discovered after the first two weeks here. Knowing enough English to get by, though not enough to have very good conversations with people without them looking at you funny, I had been all alone, without even Marik to accompany me, when I explored too far into the park and discovered it. They smelled absolutely amazing, and I knew that I had to show Marik immediately. The only other person that knew about it besides Marik was Allaina, because we ran into each other there one day. That's when we met, really. Allaina didn't look at me funny or shy away, instead she made a comment on how my accent was cool. Those were better times back then..._

"_I do remember." he admitted. "That's one of the first times I saw you happy when you moved."_

_The sad part was that he was right. At first, I didn't even have Marik. The first week was horrendous, with Mom and Dad constantly gone to secure their jobs and the babysitter interested in nothing but the TV, I had no one to talk to or have fun with. At the end of that week, Marik knocked on that door with a smile on his face and a hug saved especially for me. Ishizu and Odion had agreed with my parents that moving to America was best for us, to get away from the tombs. They moved back to Egypt when we were sixteen, sending over an allowance that buys him food and pays the bills._

"_You were so alone. I could tell by when you opened the door, that sad look that was in your eyes. The way that Marik made your eyes light back up to what I've grown used to seeing was almost worth letting the fool make you happy then. Almost." _

_His lips went back to my neck, trailing up and down before chomping down suddenly, causing me to scream and start to squirm slightly. He had bitten hard enough to draw blood, I was sure of it. _

"_Quit... moving!" he growled out, and, since I couldn't see him, I freaked out more when I felt his grip on my arms and legs release. To only find that he meant the shadows to keep me bound in place. Damn. Forgot he could do that._

_He remained straddled on my waist, but instead of attacking my neck this time, he went for my lips, forcing a hard, bruising kiss to them. The shadows prevented me from moving an inch, so I could do nothing but sit there and attempt to control my emotions as he ravaged my mouth. Tears threatened to spill, but I blinked them away, refusing to let him see me cry now. _

_He broke away suddenly, but left only a centimeter of space between our lips. as I could feel his next words as he spoke them._

"_No matter where you go or try to hide, you'll always be mine." _

"Skye... SKYE! WAKE UP!" Marik roared in my ear. "You were muttering in your sleep."

_Shit, _I thought, blinking and sitting up. How much did he hear?

"It was about the flowers, when we were little. And you repeated no a lot, too." Marik continued as he leaned away from me. "We're here, by the way. And I expect an explanation."

Shaking my head of the dark nightmare, I yawned, covering my mouth with my hand. Pandora had already ran up the driveway, and I saw Odion and Ishizu slowly making their way up it as well. I couldn't quite make out the house yet.

Malik's words... he knew where we were! I have to tell Marik! But, I better wait until I get everyone gathered. That way, I'd only have to explain it once and forget about the whole thing all together.

My eyes adjusted slightly to the bright Egyptian sun to find us outside... my aunt's house? Why are we at Auntie Jaimey's?

"Marik?" I asked quietly, yet the loom of a threat hung over the tone. "Why are we here?" I had thought that we were going to Ishizu and Odion's house.

"Come on." he insisted, growling in irritation as I took my time to stretch out my stiff limbs. "Would you hurry up already?"

"I'm going, I'm going! Jeez!" I snapped back, unbuckling my seatbelt and opening up the car door. "But you're going to tell me why we are here sooner or later."

My eyes wandered up the stone pathway, to the old wooden house I spend so many days in when it's hot, with my many cousins from Auntie Jaimey and from other parts of the family.

The door flung open suddenly, and instead of my Auntie Jaimey, I got another huge shock.

"Mom?! Dad?!"

**I hoped you like it, and please REVIEW!**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm back! No reviews this time :(. Oh well! I hope those few people that are reading this still enjoy it! **

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked shakily, my legs slowly making their way down the sidewalk towards the house.

"Did you honestly think we'd let you go to Egypt without us?" my mom asked with a giggle, rushing out of the doorway to meet me. Her dark brown curls, the same as mine, bounced around her shoulders as she sped down the steps.

Both excitement and fear bubbled up inside of me. Excitement at seeing my parents, plus the fear at the fact that Malik can use them to get to me. They could be in danger!

"Mom, you guys shouldn't be here! You're putting yourselves in danger!" I whispered in her hair as I hugged her. I felt Pandora, small and fragile, wrap herself around our legs.

"Sweetie, we're going to be here to protect you no matter what." Mom said with a grin. "Even if we are putting ourselves in danger."

"What about Auntie Jaimey and the kids? We're dangerous to be around now, you know." I asked as I broke away from the hug. "We can't stay here."

"Don't worry about it. We are only staying the night. Tomorrow morning, we're going to move to the house next to Ishizu and Odion's. It was luckily up for rent." Mom laughed. "We figured that you'd want to stick close to Marik."

"You'd think you'd want to stay away from him because of Malik." my dad grumbled deeply as he came upon us, sleek black hair shining in the hot Egyptian sun.

"Dad, they are not connected physically anymore. They only share a spiritual connection. Like, if Malik were to hurt himself, Marik would get hurt too. And vice-versa." I explained. Marik had to explain that to me on the car-ride here, when I asked him about it.

"Can he use that to find you?" Mom asked, concern coloring her voice. I shrugged my shoulders.

"As far as we're aware of, no. Marik isn't able to detect where Malik is." I said, sighing. I really need to explain that dream. "But Malik already knows where we are."

"What?!" my father explained. "How?!"

I took a deep breath, collecting myself.

"Come on, the others need to hear this too." I said, scooping up Pandora while starting my walk over to where Marik, Ishizu and Odion were talking.

"I need to explain that dream I had in the car." I said, breaking them from whatever they were talking about, causing them to look at me curiously.

"What is it, Skye?" Ishizu asked in concern.

"While sleeping in the car, Malik sent me a dream." I started. "During this dream, he told me that he knew where we were going. That he didn't even have to guess."

I suppose that that's all that was important in the dream. I don't need them freaking out over the fact that he was molesting me, and the part about the meadow wasn't very important.

"He knows where we are?!" Ishizu squeaked. I nodded.

"I don't know how much longer until he comes. We can't run from him forever." I sighed again. "We'll just have to stick our ground and fight him."

"But how? The Millennium Necklace isn't nearly as powerful as the Millennium Rod." Odion said. "With the Millennium Rod in his grasp, Malik is unstoppable."

"Then we'll just have to figure out a way to get it away from him." I said, my grip around Pandora tightening as an idea flickered through my head. She looked up at me curiously, her toddler brain unable to comprehend what we were talking about.

"Well how are we going to do that, exactly? He'll have that thing closely watched, unless..." my dad started, before Marik cut him off.

"He was distracted." Marik finished. "But how do we distract him? And no, Skye, we will not allow you to do it!" he raised his voice as I opened my mouth. I snapped it close, grumbling mentally. I hate it when they act like I can't take care of myself.

"Marik, as much as I'd like to agree with you on that, Skylar might be our only way to distract him enough." Ishizu said softly. "We can have other distractions, yes, but nothing would be as effective."

"I'm not letting her put herself in danger like that!" Marik snarled.

"Marik, who said I needed your permission?" I asked icily. "If need be, I'll distract him."

"Skye, do you realize how much danger that'd put you in?" Marik asked dryly. "If we can't get the Millennium Rod from him, you're pretty much gone forever!"

"But I'd be happy with the thought that we all gave it our all!" I insisted. "If we try our hardest and we fail, then there's nothing we can do about it."

"But Skye..." Marik said, sighing. "I really don't like the thought of this."

"Trust me, Marik, neither do I. But as her father being concerned for everyone's safety, I say that we let her be the distraction. That way, we have the highest chance of stopping him for good." my father declared.

"We'll have to send him to the Shadow Realm, then." Odion said. "We can't kill him."

"Oh, that's right. The whole he-gets-injured-and-you-get-injured thing. Well, how effective would that be?" Dad asked.

"Well, if we manage to get him far enough into the depths of the Shadow Realm, there wouldn't be a chance of him coming back." Ishizu explained. "It all depends on who does the job."

"Is this the only way?" Marik asked, sulking slightly.

Ishizu sighed, but said, "Yes, Marik. This is truly the only way."

Silence rang through everyone, holding us frozen in our positions. All but Pandora, who still looked confused.

"Well, now that we have that all covered, why don't we all go inside for lunch?" my mother said quickly to change the subject.

Murmurs of agreement rippled across the group, before we all followed my parents inside.

**I hope that you liked this chapter! Please don't be silent readers and REVIEW!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm back and with another chapter! A big thank you to Zenna Crell for your amazing review! It made me smile and such :). He/she was the only person to review :(. I'd love to see more! **

**I hope that you like this chapter, and please give me your honest opinion on this story! P.S. I honestly do not know a whole bunch about the power of the Millennium Items, so I'm just giving it a guess. Bear with me.**

**Enjoy!**

"Ok, so let me get this straight," Auntie Jaimey said, leaning forward on her elbows. "This 'spirit' we're talking about here is not out to kill you, but to make you his?"

We were all sitting around her large dining room table, leftovers scattered here and there. My cousins (including my sister) ran off to play in the living room, leaving me, Marik, Ishizu, Odion, my parents, and my auntie at the table. Her husband, my uncle Rogers was away on business, so he wouldn't be around for awhile.

"Even though that sounds very confusing, yes. That's basically what he's doing." I replied, sipping on a glass of water.

"So you came to Egypt because..." she gestured for explanation. Her dark brown eyes studied all of us quizzically.

"I'm not sure. It wasn't my idea." I turned and shot a sharp look at Marik.

"We're just trying to buy enough time to form a plan." Marik explained, returning my sharp look with a look of irritation. "If we stayed in America any longer, she would've been long gone."

"I still hate the fact that I caused all of this." I muttered, too low for anyone to hear. Thank God they didn't, otherwise I would've been doomed.

"So if you stayed in America any longer, he would've taken her and we wouldn't hear from either of them ever again?" my auntie asked, ruffling her pitch-black hair. Marik shook his head.

"No. He would've taken her, yes, but he would've been back. To get rid of me," he tapped his chest. "and to obtain the Millennium Items."

"Ah, the Millennium Items. I know a little about them. Isn't that necklace one?" Auntie Jaimey asked, gesturing towards the Millennium Necklace on Ishizu's neck. Ishizu nodded.

"Yes it is. At least we do not have to explain the whole concept to you." Ishizu shook her head with a relieved laugh. "That would've taken too long."

"Why, exactly, would he want them? I know what they are, but I'm not sure about their scope of powers." Auntie Jaimey asked, now turned towards Ishizu slightly.

"They are very powerful items. If he were to get a hold of all of them, this world could very well cease to exist." Ishizu explained. "He'll probably go after the Puzzle first. Then the Ring, then the Necklace."

"What about the others?" I asked suddenly. "How would he be able to get the others?"

"I'm not sure what method he'd use, but he'd be able to obtain them easily if he were to get more then one Millennium Item in his grasp." Ishizu explained.

Silence rang through the table as we all processed this bit of information.

Finally, after a few minutes, I chose to break it.

"So, if I were to be taken, I'm no longer a priority, hear?" I said seriously. "Worry about Ishizu, Yugi, and Ryou. Those three will be the first targets, as Ishizu already said."

"But we'll have to get you back!" my mother insisted, placing the napkin she had been playing with on the table.

"If you succeed in stopping him from getting the Millennium Items, then I will have a window of opportunity to escape." I explained. "While he's distracted, I should be able to get out of... wherever we would be."

Probably a lie (surely I'll be heavily guarded), but I have to try and appease everyone else.

"Skylar, do you realize how impossible that is?! The Millennium Rod, in Malik's grasp, is the most powerful Item! He knows how to use it, and he won't hesitate to use it against any one of us!" Marik barked out at me in a harsh tone. I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Do you think I'm dumb? Of course I realize that! But if you guys get too carried away in trying to help me escape, then we are all doomed!" I snarled back at him, slamming my hands on the table and glaring at him. Does he honestly think I don't realize that? I already regret freaking out, but still! I'm not stupid!

As I took slow, deep breaths to calm myself back down, Odion spoke. Hopefully to keep the peace before someone (more then likely Marik or I) flips out completely. As if I haven't already.

"She's right, you know. As much as each of us would hate to admit it, she's right. If we try to help her escape and don't focus on protecting the Items, then we're all dead." Odion said slowly.

"If I don't get out, hey, at least it's only me. Not the world." I said with a shrug. I've since come to acceptance with this. If I were to be kidnapped, with them being distracted protecting the Items, I would probably be dead within a week. Not because he'd kill me, but because I'd kill myself. If he were to get me, I'd surely be tortured, probably used as a sex slave of sorts. How many people would be able to live with that? I'm no where near strong enough to, and I'm not convincing myself otherwise.

"Yes, but to others, you are the world." my mother said, resting her hand on mine. Our copper skin identical in tones. "You are to your father and I. And your little sister too. Losing you..." her eyes tearing up, she wasn't able to finish her sentence.

"You're just too important to lose." Marik declared. "We'll stop Malik before anything bad happens."

His declaration left no room for argument, though it was a big lie. Something bad will happen, I just know it.

**I have to cut if off there, people. Sorry! I hope you enjoyed and REVIEW!**


	10. Chapter 10

**No reviews? Awwww... that's too bad! I was hoping that I'd get some!**

**Oh well. I decided to update anyways! Please don't be a silent reader! I hope that you enjoy this! Happy New Year! **

The house that my parents rented was decent-sized, at least for a family of four. We all had our own bedrooms, at least. We have to share two bathrooms, but I suppose it could be worse. Our house in America was a lot bigger, but this would do too.

My parents had gone out to buy groceries, leaving Pandora and I by ourselves. Marik decided to come over right after they left, but that didn't surprise me much. I didn't expect to get much privacy while here.

Marik kept Pandora occupied with some games while I started unpacking. Since I wanted to keep within hearing distance of Marik and Pandora, I started with the kitchen. They were in the living room, and since the kitchen and living room were right next to each other, I had easy access to them.

As I unwrapped and stacked dishes in their proper places, my thoughts drifted elsewhere. When you're doing something that only occupies your hands, it leaves your brain room to think.

What would truly happen if Malik got his hands on another Millennium Item? What would happen to this world? Would he destroy it completely?

No, he wouldn't do that. You can't destroy what you want to obtain, as he's told me before in a nightmare. He'd probably make the human race his slaves, though. As for me, if I don't manage to commit suicide or escape... I'm stuck with him forever. I doubt he'd get very bored with me, since he's been chasing me down for years. If he were to get bored of me, he'd given up his pursuit a long time ago. I'll be tortured, no doubt. In all ways possible, I'll be tortured. Whether he'd physically beat me, I highly doubt. Probably smack me if I do something wrong, no doubt, but not fully beat me. Rape me, yes. Invade my dreams still, yes. He'll still do that.

What I tried convincing myself (and ultimately failing at) was that this could not even happen. We could take him down and be free from him for the rest of our lives. He'd still haunt us, even when he's gone. And I'm sure taking him down would probably require us to have some sort of loss on our side. Hopefully it's only me, that way everyone else can be ok. Sure, they'd be sad for awhile, but they'd be ok.

"Skye, your parents are home." Marik said, causing me to jump slightly in surprise. I had been standing there for awhile (all the dishes were already put away), so he obviously knew that something was on my mind. But, like the good friend he was, he didn't bug me about it. Well, since my parents were in the room, that is. There are some things that I'd really prefer that they don't know, like my thoughts. They'd freak out too much and probably would lock me in my room for the rest of my life. Marik, on the other hand, would wait until we were behind closed doors before giving me a lecture.

"Ok." I replied, turning around and facing him. His lavender eyes were worried, but he still didn't say anything. Because at that very moment, my parents were walking in with grocery bags in their arms, chatting amiably about something or someone. I'm not sure, I wasn't paying much attention.

"Oh, Skylar! Guess who we ran into at the market today?!" my mom asked excitedly as she bounced to the counter.

"I don't know. Who?" I asked, honestly curious.

"Your old friend from when you were little! Aiden Tibet, don't you remember him?" Mom asked as she placed the groceries on the counter. "Thanks for putting the dishes away, by the way.""Really? Wow, I didn't think he still lived here. I should probably go see if I could find him!" I said in surprise. I hadn't seen Aiden in years. We were friends back before Marik and I were friends, but we just kind of got distant as time passed. It wasn't anything huge, we just drifted apart. It'd be nice to see him again. See how he's been. I noted that something flashed through Marik's eyes, something that almost looked like... jealousy? Why would he be jealous of Aiden? We haven't talked in years!

"Oh, I actually invited him and his mom over for dinner tonight!" Mom said. "His father passed away a couple of years ago, actually.""Aww, that's too bad." I said with sympathy. From what I remembered, his dad was a pretty nice guy. At least, to me he was.

"I'm going to be making some of those Egyptian dishes that I made all the time before we moved, so expect to have to help me. I'm not letting my daughter go through life without learning how to cook some traditional dishes!" Mom declared. I smiled slightly.

"Ok, Mom." I said moving some boxes off of the counter. "When will he be here?"

"Not for a while now, so why don't you go start unpacking and cleaning up while I cook!" Mom said, ushering Marik and I out of the kitchen. "By the way, hi Marik!"

"Ok, then." I said as I brushed myself off. My mom was always rather... pushy. Honestly, she was borderline bossy. But I get that way too sometimes, so I can't really complain about it without being a hypocrite.

I managed to sucker Marik into staying and helping me unpack. Lucky me, lucky me.

The thought that getting close to Aiden again might not be good flickered through my mind. Malik wouldn't get too pissed if I just reconciled with an old friend, right?

What did my mom just get us into?

**I'm going to have to end it there! PLEASE DON'T BE A SILENT READER AND REVIEW!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Here comes another (very, very short yet important) chapter!**

**HOLY CRAP! THREE REVIEWS WITHIN A DAY OR TWO! I'm SOO happy! Thank you so much to the people who reviewed! It really makes me smile to see that people have reviewed this story! I knew from the start that it probably wouldn't be very popular since this isn't necessarily something that everyone would read, so a big thank you to the people actually reading. Hugs for everyone who reviewed if you want one! Again I'm sorry that it's so short, but I just wanted to get something up. **

**I hope you enjoy this chapter! You get to meet Aiden and his mom! **

**ENJOY!**

_Skylar's Mom's POV_

"Ok, so you be on your best behavior, Pandora. These are old friends of ours that you haven't met before." I said to my youngest daughter. She was wearing a frilly, bright yellow sundress, with her black hair tied up in a ponytail. She bobbed her head, almost bouncing from excitement. She loves meeting friends of Mommy, Daddy, or Sissy.

"They should be here in a few minutes, right?" my husband, Steve, asked. I nodded as I fluffed up my curly hair.

"Where's Skylar at?" I asked, worry immediately filling my body. I haven't heard from her in awhile, ever since she stopped helping me in the kitchen.

"She's in the living room, napping. Let her sleep, she hasn't had a lot in awhile." Steve said with a wave of his hand.

"Oh, so you aren't that concerned with that _demon_ giving our daughter nightmares?! Go wake her up!" I spat out, immediately ticked at my husband's stupidity. Obviously, if guests are coming over that do not know about this, he probably shouldn't have let her fall asleep at all. What if she wakes up and she's pale, or crying? How would we explain that?

"I will!" he snapped back just as the doorbell rang. Taking a deep breath, I put on my best smile, bottling up my anger for later, and opened the door.

"Hello!" I greeted. "It's so nice to see all of you again!"

"It's nice to see you too, Sophia!" the woman replied. Her eyes, dark brown with crows feet, shone at me warmly. Her son had the same eyes, too. Dark brown and comforting.

"Where's little miss Skylar? Isn't she joining us?" Emalee (the woman) asked in confusion, looking around. I looked with exasperation at my husband, who was still standing there.

"I thought I told you to go wake her..." I started to say, but was cut off. By the most horror-filled, terror-inducing scream that I've ever heard.

All thoughts and words vanished from my mind as we all sprinted towards the living room. Where, I found my daughter, my beautiful, sweet daughter, writhing in her sleep and screaming at the top of her lungs.

**I'm sorry, but there are like two or three other stories I wanted to update tonight, so I have to cut it off there! **

**I hope you enjoyed! Don't be a silent reader and REVIEW!**


	12. Chapter 12

**I'm back and with another chapter! I hope that you enjoy! No reviews on the last chapter... :(. I'm sorry if it's a little boring now, but I promise it'll get exciting soon! I promise!**

**Oh, and just saying, please keep Aiden and his mom, Emalee, in mind. I have plans for them... not in this chapter, though. Later on. But just a warning!**

**Enjoy!**

_Skylar's Mom's POV_

"SKYLAR!" I screamed in horror, flinging myself to her side and shaking her shoulders. "Wake up!"

My husband and Aiden ran to my side and tried to hold down her flailing limbs as I desperately tried to wake her up.

She was screaming, "No!" over and over again. I could tell by the way that her voice sounded that this was no natural nightmare. Nobody screams with that much terror in their voice because of an average nightmare.

With one final scream, her eyes flew open, startled and teary. She gazed around quickly as if to figure out where she was. My husband and Aiden quickly released her as she sat up. My mind noted with dread that she still looked terrified to death.

With heavy pants, she asked, "What happened? Was I screaming?" Her face was a deathly pale, with beads of sweat on her forehead.

I nodded slowly, reaching out and wiping the sweat off of her forehead.

"Wait a second. What's going on here? Nobody screams like that naturally." Emalee said from the doorway. We all jumped slightly, because we hadn't even heard her follow us. She was holding Pandora back, who was staring at Skylar with tears running down her cheeks.

"It's nothing. Just a nightmare." Skylar said quickly as she got up from the couch. "I'm fine really."

Skylar could be such a horrible liar sometimes. We could all clearly see the tears gathering in her eyes, the way that her face was several shades paler then normal. My poor baby... he must've done something terrible to her in this one. She's never screamed like that in her sleep ever.

"Sweetie, why don't you and I go clean you up a little bit for dinner?" I suggested. I don't care that we have guests, I just need to talk to my daughter.

"Alright." she said. I could tell by her tone that she was absolutely exhausted.

"Come on then. Steve, would you mind showing our guests to the dining room? We'll be back in a few minutes." I instructed. My husband nodded, picking up Pandora, who was still crying, and walking out of the room. Aiden gazed at Skylar, who didn't return the look. He frowned, but turned and followed Steve out the door, along with Emalee.

I took my eldest daugther's hands and stared into her eyes, the same shade of blue as mine. The held-back tears were starting to stream down her face. Knowing that she'd start sobbing any moment, I quickly led her to the bathroom.

Once the door was shut and locked, I sat her down on the tub. Sitting down next to her, I placed a comforting arm around her as I felt her body start to shake.

"Honey, I know that this is very hard to talk about, but you have to tell me what he did to you." I said slowly.

_Skylar's POV_

Tell her what happened? I don't know if I have that in me to repeat what happened.

"Just take your time, but please. We need to know what's going on so that we can tell if he's planning on attacking." my mother said in a soothing tone as she started stroking my hair. The comfort was nice, and helped me work up the courage for my next words.

"It wasn't anything he did to me..." I started slowly. Which was true. It wasn't about what happened to me. Lord, how was I going to tell her about my dream.

"He didn't do anything to you?" she asked, confusion clear in her voice. "Then what happened?"

The steady stream of tears that ran down my face poured down even harder as my breath started to get shorter and more jagged.

"He... he... he murdered everyone." I said, my voice shaky and thick. "You, dad, Pandora. He tortured and killed you right in front of me. And..." my shoulders sagged. "I brought it on myself. He tried kissing me, and I pushed him away. That made him really mad. He slapped me across the face, but then he gave me this really wicked smile and said, 'Now it won't be you that will pay.'"

My mother's eyes widened in shock as she quickly enveloped me into a tight hug. I still saw how her face had paled a few tones.

"Oh honey..." she said in a soft tone, sympathetic. "I'm so sorry. You don't have to say any more about this."

I will still probably have to explain everything (every. last. detail.) to Marik later, but those words are comforting to hear at the moment. Comfort is all I desire.

I smiled a sad smile as I nuzzled my head into my mother's chocolate curls, inhaling her vanilla scent. She started stroking my hair again.

This is the most peaceful moment I've had in a long time. Just my mother and I, with each other, with her petting my hair. It reminds me of my childhood, back before everything started.

I, for a moment, forgot everything that has happened and closed my eyes, absorbing my mother's warmth.

**I hope you liked this! I would've just written out Skylar's nightmare, but then my rating probably would've had to be bumped up because it would've been very gory. I'm not saying I'm not capable of it, it's just I'd prefer to keep this rated T. Later on, I might consider bumping it up because of a certain scene I have in mind, but I haven't made up my mind yet about that. We'll find out when we get there. Don't be a silent reader and REVIEW!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed on the last chapter! Those reviews really make me smile! I hope that you all enjoy this chapter! **

**Also, I was thinking on having another contest like I did in the unedited version of this story. If you've read it before, you should know what it is, but if you haven't and are reading this as you go along skip to the story because there will be a spoiler in this. Not to the ending, just to what's going to happen eventually. **

**Ok, so remember in chapter 8 or 9 of the unedited version when he raped her? Well I'm thinking of starting another contest to whoever can write it again! I'll tell you in the next couple of chapters on whether I decide to or not, but please say something if you really want me to hold this contest. **

**Well, enjoy!**

_Skylar's POV_

****I stayed in my mother's embrace for awhile after that. She didn't complain any, and honestly, I'm not sure she wanted to let go of me.

A knock on the door made me jump ten feet into the air. My mother placed a hand on my shoulder as I started to hyperventilate a little bit.

"It's alright, Skye." she whispered. "Just slow down your breathing."

I tried listening, taking slow breaths in and out to slow down my racing heart. Shocked tears ran down my face. Well, I was crying in the first place, but the knock just scared the living daylight out of me. Strange, since I never used to be this jumpy before.

"Who is it?" my mother asked in a calmer, quieter voice then I would've ever have been able to manage in this situation. Her face had gained back it's color, now back to the deep copper that it has been as long as I can remember. Even with everything that has happened, she kept a cool, calm face. Not even her eyes depicted any signs of being scared.

"It's me. Are you guys coming to dinner or not?" my dad called through the door. He wasn't doing the whole are you coming or not thing, he was honestly asking. Are you guys coming or not? I'm leaning towards not, but I'm not sure about my mother. She can handle emotional trauma a heck of a lot more better then I ever will be able to.

"Do you think you'll be able to manage dinner?" she whispered to me, patting my shoulder before moving my hair out of the way. I shrugged my shoulders, clasping both of my hands onto her free one. Now that I've seen her horrific murder, I'm terrified to even let her out of my sight. Just sitting in here makes me anxious about my father and sister's whereabouts. Are they ok?

"If you need to go, then go." she said soothingly, using her sleeve to wipe the tears from my face. "I don't like it when you cry, you know." she said to me. "We're coming!" she called to Dad. My eyes flickered up.

"Dad! Can you come in?" I called quickly, afraid that he wouldn't hear me. I heard him stop mid-step.

"Skylar?" he asked, opening up the bathroom door and taking in the scene. Me, with scared tears and a panicked look on my face and my mother, with a calm demeanor and a cool expression.

"Daddy." I whispered, releasing my mother and running into his arms. "I'm so scared, Daddy. Make it go away."

Just like when I had nightmares when I was little. I'd ask Daddy to make them go away because in my eyes when I was little, Daddy was strong and invincible. My brain somehow just flickered back to then. I was five again, having woken up from a nightmare about some petty little thing and had ran to my parents room to seek comfort. Dad always promised to make my nightmares go away. It's a shame he can't do the same for this.

"Skye, you're going to be okay. Everyone's going to be okay." he soothed quickly, stroking my head. I buried my face into his chest.

"How can you know that?" I muttered into his chest. "He's so powerful."

"We'll all be okay no matter what happens, Skylar. I promise you that. If something happens to any of us, we'll all be a family again. No matter what." he promised in a serious tone. "But I'll be damned if I let anything happen to you!"

"Dad, you can't promise that." I sniffled, leaning away from him. "You haven't seen what he's done in my nightmare. He'll hurt everyone if I don't do as he says!" Oh god, here comes the hysteria.

"Skylar, listen to me and listen to me good. You will not be subjected to that! You are going to live out the rest of your life as the free girl you are. I promise that. You'll be happy and will still be the smiling baby girl that I love so much." he said in a stern tone. "Even if it kills me, I'll protect you from that monster!"

"Dad, it isn't me that I'm worried about!" I exclaimed, leaning away from him to look into his eyes. "It's all of you! I won't be able to live with myself if I knew that he hurt or killed you because of me!"

"Skylar Valentine Rains!" my father scolded. "I know that you are worried about us, but if he comes after you, you are going to be concerned about no one but yourself and Pandora." he said. "If you're close enough to her, grab her and run. Don't even look back."

"Dad, how do you know that running will even be possible?" I asked sullenly, averting my gaze from his now angrier one.

"If it isn't then fight like Hell to get yourself to safety!" he growled.

I sighed. It isn't any use to argue with him further. Now I am just wanting to cry even more. I knew deep in my heart that if Malik came after me, he'd get me, no matter who's protecting me or how fast I run. He'd get me.

"I'm going to go back and start serving the food. Now you stay in here and get yourself collected enough to not break down in the middle of dinner. We don't need them asking any more questions then they absolutely have to." he commanded, releasing me. I nodded and wiped my eyes.

"Ok, Dad." I said with a sniffle. I knew that he didn't mean to sound harsh to me. He's just a bit blunt about things.

"And you might want to hurry," he added as he walked back to the door. "Pandora's anxious to see you."

He quickly exited the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. His footsteps slowly faded away into silence as he went back to the dining room. Leaving my mother and I sitting in the bathroom, me about to have a mental breakdown.

"How will we be able to explain this to them?" I asked my mother as I sat back down on the tub beside her.

"We are going to have to tell them a lie. Something to cover this up." my mother replied. "They can't know about this. It would be too dangerous for them."

I nodded my agreement.

"But what?" I asked. "What nightmare would be able to cause me to scream like that?"

"Well, let's see..." she said, rubbing her forehead with her free hand. "What could cause that?"

We both sat in silence for a moment as we contemplated this. I placed my hand on hers again, for comfort more then anything.

"How about we say that you saw us murdered? It technically isn't lying." Mom offered up. "We'll just say you saw a horror movie or something and had a nightmare that it happened to us. I suppose that it could happen."

I thought this over for a few moments, before nodding.

'That will have to do." I replied sullenly. I'd prefer something a little better, but then again we don't really have much to work with. So this would hopefully be enough for them to not ask any more questions about it.

"Now come on. I'm sure Aiden is dying to see you." my mom said in a semi-cheerful voice, obviously to try and get my spirits up. Sorry, Mom, but that just won't happen.

"I guess reconciling with him wouldn't be so bad..." I said slowly, standing up. My legs shook a little bit, but I managed to get them to be semi-stable.

My mother still hovered around me for a little bit, and even made me walk around the bathroom to make sure I wouldn't collapse. I was okay with my dad earlier because he was there to hold me up. Now I'm on my own.

With her grip still on my arm, we made our way out of the bathroom and into the dimly lit hallway.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" I whispered to her as we started walking.

"We are just getting re-acquainted with some old friends. How can he take that the wrong way?" my mother asked, but that was more to reassure herself then to help me.

I could tell by the dreadful look on her face that she realized that inviting them over was a really really bad idea. But there's nothing we could really do about it now.

Before we entered the dining room, my hand instinctively gripped my mother's. She gave it a reassuring squeeze, smiling at me slightly.

"We'll be fine." she whispered over, reaching out with her free hand to open the door. I took a deep breath.

Here goes nothing.

**I'm done! And, by recent research, I realized that the Egyptians today speak mainly Arabic (I could still look into this) so if I say Egyptian, realize that I meant that. It completely slipped my mind, actually. **

**Well, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! Don't be a silent reader and REVIEW!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Thanks for all of the reviews! They make me happy! I hope you like this chapter!**

**ENJOY!**

_Skylar's POV_

"There they are! my father said as my mother and I walked into the dining room.

"Hello!" my mother greeted cheerfully, no evidence of our previous conversation on her face. I wish I could be as strong as her. I really do.

I remained silent, instead following my other to our seats across from my father and Aiden. I sat in between Mom and Pandora. Pandora, who was staring at me with anxious eyes, climbed out of her chair and into my lap, wrapping her arms around me. I returned the hug and looked at my father apprehensively.

"How has life in America been treating you?" Aiden's mom asked us as she dug into her food. I honestly forgot the name of it, but I do know that it's one of my mom's fancier dishes.

"It's been absolutely lovely! We really do live in a beautiful town!" my mother replied with a smile as she started dishing up on her plate. When I didn't start serving myself, Pandora reached over and dragged her plate over mine, grabbing her silverware in the process. I didn't mind, really. I like holding my little sister and I didn't want to eat anyways.

"Skylar, are you not eating?" my dad asked as I stared at nothing in particular. My eyes flashed over to him and I shook my head.

"No, I'm not hungry. I'll eat later." I replied in a quiet voice, before returning to staring at the wall.

A heavy, awkward silence descended on the table as the sound of clattering silverware and food being chewed took over conversation.

Adrian must have had enough, because he threw down his fork in exasperation and turned to me.

"What in the Hell happened earlier?" he asked. "Ever since then, you look like you have seen a ghost and you haven't been eating!"

I just stared at him for a moment, before looking away.

"Okay, don't answer me. I thought that we were going to be able to catch up, Skylar. Guess I was wrong."

That ugly tone he used hurt, but it only fueled the fire slowly building up inside of me. If he says anything more, I will probably explode.

"Mom, I want to go. Obviously we are not wanted here." Adrian said to his mother. Oh that tears it!

"OH MY FRICKING GOD! JUST BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT A STUPID NIGHTMARE DOESN'T MEAN THAT I WANTED YOU TO LEAVE! GOD FORBID THAT I HAVE A LITTLE PRIVACY WITH MY LIFE!" I shouted at him. "YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SUCH A PRICK ABOUT IT!"

"Skylar, hon, you need to calm down." my mother said to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. Pandora turned back to me and looked kind of frightened.

"NO! I'M NOT GOING TO CALM DOWN! HE APPARENTLY IS TOO GOD DAMN NOSY TO REALIZE THAT MAYBE THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT I AM NOT GOING TO TELL HIM ABOUT MY LIFE!" I screamed. Dad looked shock, Adrian's mom looked offended, Mom looked like she was about to have a panic attack, and Pandora just looked scared.

"What do you expect me to do! It's not normal to just wake up screaming and crying!" he shouted back.

"If I wanted to tell you I would have." I said quieter, but in an uglier tone. "Please respect that. There are some things I just do not want to talk about, and this is one of them."

He didn't answer me, instead glaring at his plate.

I didn't say anything else either. I just went back to staring at the wall.

"Skylar, honey, why don't you at least eat a little bit? I think it'll make you feel better." my mother said. "It could even be a little bit of dessert. I made cookie brownies."

Oh, Mom. Even though we were going to stick to strictly Egyptian dishes, she still made my favorite dessert from America. I feel a little bad for probably scaring her earlier from my shouting.

"Ok." I said quietly. Mom handed me one in a napkin, which I took from her reluctantly.

I'm afraid if I eat, I will just puke it up, because honestly, that's what I feel like doing right now. That and sleep, but I don't think I'll be able to sleep at all.

I nibbled on the treat, my thoughts in the clouds. When I looked around the table, everyone was staring at me apprehensively.

Oh God, eating was not a good idea. I could feel my stomach churning already.

"Panda, hun, can you please get up?" I asked quickly, almost shoving her off of me.

"Skylar, are you ok?" my mother asked as I stood up from my chair and clamped a hand over my mouth. I didn't answer, instead sprinting as fast as my legs could go to the bathroom.

_Malik's POV_

__I smirked to myself as I made the image on the Millennium Rod disappear. Clearly that nightmare was very effective in punishing her for having Aiden over. I know her mom did it, but Skylar agreed to it, which is just as bad. I'll have to keep this nightmare in mind should she misbehave or refuse me when she's with me soon.

"Malik!" my name was called out. "Are you in here?"

"What is it, Bakura?" I growled as I was broken from my thoughts, turning to face the white-haired man behind me.

"Seto Kaiba is hosting a card game tournament in a week. It's the perfect place to lure everyone in." Bakura explained. _And Skylar... _I added mentally, smirking evilly. Looks like there is a change in plans.

"They are inviting Skylar to come play in it," Bakura added. "Since it starts on her birthday."

I raised an eyebrow. It started on her birthday? Perfect.

"For bringing this, I owe you again, Bakura." I said. "Again, when you want your own body, just tell me. I already owe you for giving me my own."

"I'll keep that in mind." he grumbled, before disappearing once again.

I turned back to the window I was originally facing.

"You're going to get the birthday surprise of your life, Skylar." I said to myself. "And you'll never see it coming."

**DUN DUN DUN! You see what I did there? I added more plot.**

**I hope that you liked this, and please don't be a silent reader and REVIEW!  
**


	15. Chapter 15

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! I hope that you guys enjoy this chapter because I really like writing this! **

**Enjoy!**

_Skylar's POV_

__My mother followed me into the bathroom as I started to vomit. Luckily, I have a good aim and managed to make it to the toilet before releasing my mouth and puking. It was absolutely disgusting; there wasn't that much in my stomach, so it was this weird stomach crap that made my throat burn.

Mom murmured soothing words to me and rubbed my back as I continued to heave into the toilet. She even held my hair back for me, which I really appreciated. I do not want to have to go and scrub it again.

"Honey, are you alright?" she asked when I leaned back, the last of the heaving finally done. I shrugged my shoulders and stood up on shaky legs.

"I don't know." I muttered. At least the nausea went away. I felt incredibly weak though, as if all of the energy has been sucked right out of me.

"Listen, why don't you just miss the rest of dinner and go lay down? I will call Marik and have him come over, if you would like." Mom offered as she handed me a wash cloth to wash my face with. I took it gratefully. Have I mentioned how much I hated throwing up?

"He probably caused this." I muttered under my breath as I started washing off my face. My mother's face darkened slightly. She knew just as well as I do that I was not talking about Marik.

"Probably." she admitted. "But there is nothing that we can do about this."

The sad part was that there was really nothing we can do about this. He can get to me literally at any moment, and I will be defenseless against him. Especially now, since it feels like the energy was literally zapped out of me.

"Get Marik over here, please." I said as I finished washing up my face. I wrapped my arms around myself. "I don't want to be alone."

"Ok." my mother replied. "Why don't you brush your teeth and get changed into some comfier clothes? I'll just go call Marik and tell everyone else that you won't be returning." she said, stroking my hair out of my face. "Are you going to be okay for now?"

Sighing, I nodded.

"I guess so." I replied. "Just get Marik to hurry."

My mother studied me with her eyes, hauntingly just like mine, before shaking her head and walking about.

"I'll be back up in a minute to check on you." she said in a motherly tone, before she disappeared down the hallway.

I was left alone as I pulled down my toothbrush, giving my teeth the cleaning that they desperately needed.

"I need to get a hold of myself." I muttered bitterly as I spat out the minty fresh toothpaste. Hastily, I wiped off my mouth and shut off the sink, before placing my toothbrush and toothpaste back where they belonged.

The hallway seemed even more desolate as I wandered back into my room, where there were boxes upon boxes of clothes shoved up against the wall. I have to get to work on that. I don't think that I will be returning to America any time soon, so I might as well get comfortable here. Maybe I should call Allaina and see what she's doing...

Probably still asleep, actually. I would have to look up the time difference later. For now, I just wanted to lay in bed and snuggle with someone.

I dug around in a few boxes until I found my favorite pair of black sweatpants. I quickly slipped into them and just took off my shirt, leaving me in a tank-top. I didn't care whether Marik saw me in one anyway. It's not like he cared about that anyway.

As I sat on the bed, I pulled out my phone and clicked on my pictures.

There were not a lot of selfies, like most girls my age. Mine were mainly of my friends and I. Allaina and I at a camp-out once, our smiles sticky with marshmallows and melty chocolate. Yugi and I facing off in a duel. I really will never be as good as him. Even Joey and I, with me glaring playfully at him when he took a cookie off of my plate. All of these were happy memories. The one that almost brought tears to my eyes was one with Marik and I. He was giving me a piggy back ride, with both of us facing the camera and smiling our biggest smiles. The setting sun behind us made our Egyptian skin almost glow, along with our eyes. I remember that day so well... Marik and I spent the day just talking and eating sweets. Nothing more. It does not take a lot to make a memorable day with a friend. We just sat around and talked about everything and nothing at the same time. I believe that that was the day that I realized that I liked Marik. As more then a friend. But I doubt that he would ever like me that way. I am too crazy for him.

I jumped when my mother popped in the doorway again.

"Marik will be over in a minute." she said. "Do you want anything to eat?"

I shook my head no. Nothing sounded appetizing right now, really.

"Ok." my mother blew out a frustrated sigh, the same one she uses when I'm sick and refuse to eat. I can't be the only one that does that. If I am sick and try to eat I just throw it right back up.

She didn't bother me more on it, though, instead disappearing back down the hallway. I couldn't catch the gist of the conversation going on in the dining room; it was too far away.

Marik would be over soon, so I better mentally prepare myself for the barrage of questions that would surely come. I just feel so exhausted right now...

I rested my head on my pillow as I continued to flip through my photos. Nostalgia hit me like a train; so many memories...

Not even the thought of Malik ruined these. So why is he now?

**Done! I hope that you liked this, and please REVIEW! **


	16. Chapter 16

**A special thanks to Priestess dragon for all of the reviews that she has sent in! **

**Also, I have thought about it, and I decided to do the writing challenge. In chapter nine of the rough draft of this story, (SPOILER READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!) Malik raped Skylar. As you know, I have lengthened the story a lot, but I "might" still be doing that. So, if you are up to it, I want you to write out that chapter. Any scene, any place, I don't care. It just has to be the rape scene. You don't have to actually write out him doing it all smut-like (Heck, I didn't when I first wrote it) but do let us know that he actually did that. If you smut it up, then please warn me. **

**Prizes for this is first; review on a couple of stories and perhaps an editor for a story, second place just the reviews on the stories, and third reviews on just one story. I will be very pleased if you all enter! **

**Enjoy!**

_Skylar's POV_

My eyes flickered up as the door opened. I quickly shut my phone, thinking it was my mom coming to give me a lecture or something, but it was only Marik. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey." he greeted cautiously, entering the room slowly. "You okay, Skye?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"That's a good question." I muttered. "Am I okay?"

Marik looked a little wary, but sat next to me anyways. I immediately snuggled next to him, wrapping my arms around him and nuzzling my head into his shoulder.

"I'm scared, Marik." I whispered into his shoulder. "Really scared. I can't even sleep without him being there."

I felt Marik stiffen up, and I could have sworn that he growled a little bit too. That kind of scared me, too. Jeez, can I go a moment without finding something to be scared of? I am such a coward.

"You can't just not sleep." he said slowly.

I felt the tears start to leak out of my eyes and I nodded, not moving my head from his shoulder. He smelled warm, like cinnamon almost. I didn't want to move.

"I know that." I said. "But he won't stop sending nightmares."

"I know, Skye, I know." he said, petting my hair as I quietly sobbed into his shoulder. "It's hard, but we are going to make it through this."

"That's what everyone says." I muttered, leaning away and wiping my eyes. "But you know for a fact that we can't."

"Maybe not everyone, but you will make it out of here, though. I promise you that."

His lavender eyes, bright and shining instead of cloudy and dull, stared into my sapphire ones. His intense gaze made me a little bit uncomfortable, so I looked away, instead staring at the wall. My fingers went to play with my comforter.

"Skye, I know that you really do not want to, but you have to sleep." Marik said in a serious tone. "I know you are exhausted, so don't even bother pretending."

My fingers tightened on the comforter. He was right; I was downright exhausted. Honestly, if I could, I would pass out here and now. But, Malik will send me nightmares and it would just be a waste of time.

"But, Marik..." I said, trying to find the words to describe my feelings. I just couldn't.

"Skye..." he said in a stern tone. "Try to sleep, at least."

I sighed in irritation, but went to lay down on my bed. Marik went and laid next to me, allowing me to rest my head on his shoulder. See, this is what really relaxes me. When I can just lay here and enjoy Marik's company, just like I was able to before... before...

I can't even think of his name without a billion different emotions bursting out. Anger. Hate. Sadness. Depression. And... pity. Pity that he has to sink to this level to try and obtain love.

My eyes closed, and I reluctantly allowed myself to drift off into the realm of dreams.

_Overall POV_

__Marik looked down at Skylar, and was able to tell that she was asleep. Her eyes were closed, her chest rising and falling with each steady breath taken. He could tell that she had no nightmares, either; she wasn't tossing or turning. She even wore a small smile.

A creaking sound from the hallway alerted Marik, causing his head to snap up. He relaxed, but only slightly. It was Skylar's mom, Sophia, and her old friend Aiden. Marik knew by the way that Aiden looked with jealously at the sleeping girl that he wanted her. But, as Marik made clear with his glare, she was already taken. Skylar's mother's eyes flickered between the two boys murdering each other with their eyes, but did not say anything. She instead looked at her daughter who, for the first time in weeks, was sleeping peacefully. No signs of nightmares there. Mrs. Rains smiled slightly, before pulling on Aiden's arm and leading him down the hallway before he did anything to disrupt her daughter's peaceful sleep.

"Why are you allowing her to sleep with a boy?" Aiden hissed to her once they reached the end of the hallway. Mrs. Rains regarded him with wise eyes; she knew the moment that he set eyes on her daughter that he had a crush on her.

"That is the first time my daughter has slept peacefully in weeks. I suggest you just leave them alone so my daughter can actually sleep instead of waking up from nightmares." Mrs. Rains said, not caring that she mentioned that waking up has happened more then once.

Aiden was about to retort, but, with a little help from a pointed look from his own mom, decided to let the matter drop, instead walking back over to her.

"It's been nice catching up, Sophia. Let us know how Skylar is tomorrow!" Emalee, Aiden's mom said as she headed to the door. Pandora and Steve had already gone to get ready for bed, so it was just them.

"Of course, of course." Mrs. Rains said, giving her old friend a hug.

"And tell Skylar that some warm milk with a pinch of cinnamon before bed will put her right to sleep." Emalee said, smiling slight. (Hey, I don't know if that actually works, so don't take my word for it).

"I am sure Skylar will appreciate the advice." Mrs. Rains said with a thankful smile. "Thank you."

"Well, we are off! Bye!" Emalee said, releasing her old friend and walking towards the door. "Come on, Aiden!"

Aiden muttered a goodbye, glanced at the archway to the hallway, before he followed his mother out the door and into the Egyptian twilight.

Mrs. Rains gave a sigh and tipped her head to the sky.

"Please let my daughter have an uninterrupted sleep." she whispered to no one in particular. And she really hoped that. She thought that Skylar deserved to have a nice, long sleep. Without any nightmares, without Malik. Only with dreams filled with happiness.

**I hope that you enjoyed this chapter! Please give me your opinion through a review! My goal is thirty! Come on! Don't be a silent reader and REVIEW!**


	17. Chapter 17

**I am really sorry for the lack of updating! **

**I really hope for more reviewers next time, I have one wonderful one (priestessdragon) but I would love it if more of you guys that read this please shoot in a review and tell me what you think. **

**Enjoy!**

_Dream _

_I realized that I was simply watching, not participating in this dream. I've been to numerous places so far. Mainly memories of me as a child. The meadow. First day of school. But now..._

_I am in Egypt. Five-thousand-years ago. I am not sure how I know that, I just do. The buildings, the people, the clothing... it is just like in ancient Egypt! Apparently, nobody can see me, because some people even walked right through me! _

_I made my way through the crowd, rubbing my arms up and down. Even though I was technically invisible, I still felt the heat of the sun. I was sweating buckets, so to speak. _

_I glanced around at my surroundings. For some odd reason, this place felt very familiar, as if I have seen it before. Doubtful, since I am not 5,000 years old! _

_The hustle and the bustle of the market did not bother me, as in I did not technically bump into anyone. I went right through them, my feet leading me towards an unknown destination. I am not sure where I was going, I just felt a pull in that direction. And, since I am in a dream, I just followed it. What was the worst that could happen?_

_I saw a cluster of people (males, mainly) crowded around one particular place. Curiosity ate at me, and that's where my feet were leading me anyways. So, I walked over and phased through the people to see what the bustle was about. _

_It was me!_

_Me! I was dancing, wearing a sand-colored top-like shirt that showed my entire belly and a lot of cleavage. The sleeves weren't at my shoulders, they were bunched around my arms. I was wearing a white swooshing skirt that swooshed with gold doodads on it as I danced to a beat I was making on this weird little instrument. Some sort of thing that made a tingling sort of sound. My skin was a shade darker then it is now. My curly locks were around the same length, but they were tied up into a bun. A smile lit up my face as I entertained the crowd._

_A little hat stood in front of me, where people were throwing in these coins. Why was I dreaming this? It seems so familiar, like I have seen this before. It's not like I'm 5,000 years old, but it just seems like I've been here before. I'm no Yami or Bakura. Unless..._

_I am starting to think that maybe my soul did exist in the past. It was a possibility, after all. If I even remember this in the morning or when I wake up, maybe I should give Yugi a call._

_I (past me) continued the dance until a shadow caught her attention. That's when she suddenly stopped, scooped up the hat with the coins in it, and darted towards the shadow, much to the displeasure of the watching crowd. Demanding that she come back, they all started chasing after her. I ran after her as well, the buildings providing no challenge for me to navigate through. _

_The shadow was a tall, tan man with white hair that seemed very familiar. I could not see his face, so I could not make any judgements on his whereabouts. _

_They ran from the crowd until they came upon the outer part of town, to an old abandoned building. A torn sheet covered the entrance way, which they quickly entered through. I followed them._

_I stopped dead. The man..._

_Bakura. Ryou. This man. They all looked the same! This man, though, had a scar over his right eye. How strange. I wonder what past me was doing with the past Bakura._

_"How much money did you get?" he asked her in a gruff voice. Past me mock-glared at him. _

_"Patience, brother. We just got here." she clarified, plopping down on a stone ledge sticking out on the wall. She dumped the contents of the bag onto the ledge, counting them out under her breath. _

_Brother?! What does she mean by brother?!_

_"Sorry that I am hungry, sister." he replied, his tone a little lighter then it was previously. "I have a big mission tonight and I do not want to do it on an empty stomach. _

_She said something that I did not recognize, before she added, "I will go out and buy us some lunch. Here," she dumped a few coins into his palm. "There is some spare money. I made a lot today, actually."_

_"About time." he teased her, poking her stomach. _

_"Oh hush up!" she scolded, before disappearing back outside the building. _

That was when I woke up.

Blinking, I realized that it was late morning. Did I sleep in that long?

Not that it mattered. Marik was still there, awake. I felt a slight pang of guilt in my stomach. I hope that he wasn't up a very long time while he let me sleep.

"How long have you been up?" I asked sleepily as I looked up at him. He looked back down at me, loosening his grip around my body.

"Not even ten minutes. You weren't the only one that was exhausted." he said, and I could still hear the tired tone behind his voice.

Sitting up, we both stretched, and I could hear Marik's back pop.

"Come on." I said. "Let's go find something to eat in the kitchen."

Even though I suspect that it was closer to lunch then breakfast, a morning snack sounded just about right.

With Marik by my side, we made our way towards the kitchen, momentarily forgetting the strange dream I had.

**I know that I probably could have done a bit better, but my brain is fried. I have done so much work on other sites for my writing for the past day that I just need to get off the computer. I am sorry. **

**Please don't be a silent reader and REVIEW!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Can we say snow day? I certainly can ^_^. How has your day been weather-wise? Has it been enjoyable? I hope so. I miss summer.  
**

**Since I have some time on my hands, I decided to update a couple of my stories. I hope you enjoy this, and thank you to all of those who reviewed. I smile when the review email comes to my phone :). **

**I just got like five inches of hair cut off plus got layers and got it thinned. It feels strange, since it has been years since I got my hair cut this short. I'm really used to having it long. **

**Enjoy! Oh, and if you get confused, I call the light Bakura Ryou and the yami Bakura Bakura. **

_Bakura's POV_

I knew that Skylar would be confused by the dream I sent her, but I had to feed her the information somehow. And, since it seemed to work for Malik to get her all riled up, I figured that it would work for me to relay her her ancient memories.

In ancient Egypt, back when my village was burned down, both my sister and I managed to survive and move on to another place. My sister happened to be Skylar. Well, Skylar is technically my sister's reincarnation, but part of my sister's soul lives in her. The other part disappeared, and I am not sure what happened to it. It could have possibly moved on or taken another form. Whatever happened to the other half of her soul, I just hoped that she was happy where she was. I miss her a lot, sure, but if she is happy then I would have to be satisfied with that.

Loading all of my sister's memories onto Skylar at once would overwhelm her too much and fry her brain, so I decided to take it easy and only feed her a little bit of the memory. Or, at least to show her that she was my sister. Or, I hope that she got it out of that memory. Skylar's a smart girl, she would have figured it out. The one thing she probably questioned was that she was a street dancer.

Yes, back then, she was a street dancer. Not quite the equivalent of today's stripper, but she still danced in semi-revealing clothing. It was really the only job a woman could get. While I stole at night, she would dance during the day. With the combined effort, we made by. I remember my sister with fondness, as she was basically what Skylar is today. A nice girl who protects those around her that she cares about.

Too bad she died at such a young age, when we were eighteen. This is where Malik and Marik come into the picture. Back then, they both had separate bodies and different souls. They were twin brothers, though, and I think that helped contribute to the fact that they are bound by body and spirit today. They were the children of nobles, though I can't remember how high-ranking they were. Like the events happening currently, Malik became obsessed with her, while Marik held a silent crush. She was friends with Marik, though. They rarely kept secrets from each other, me being the only secret she kept from him. She was smart, knowing that Marik would probably turn me in if he knew I was her brother.

Also, her friend Allaina had a spot in this twisted plot as well. She was Atem's twin sister, though she mainly kept out of the royal spotlight, which is why I decided to keep that bit hidden from Skylar for now. I am surprised that Yugi (rather, Yami) did not tell both Allaina and Skylar, but I guess that that information was his to keep. I would have liked it if he would have told Allaina, though. It would have made my life easier.

Anyways, Allaina did not wish to rule, from what I could remember, and decided to let Atem step up to the plate. Often, she sneaked into the market place using servant's clothes, just to get away from all of her royal duties.

She met Skylar once, when they were younger, before Skylar really got into dancing. They became friends, and I even had the chance to meet her. I did not let her know my real identity, though, instead keeping myself disguised and hidden.

Malik broke me out of my thoughts by shaking my shoulder fiercely. Apparently he has been trying to get my attention for quite a long time, and just now managed to break me out of my memory-induced reverie.

"Bakura!" he barked out. "I have been trying to get your attention for half an hour!"

I did not answer him, instead turning around and crossing my arms over my chest. Though he was taller then me, I refused to be intimidated by this demon.

"We need to prepare to leave for the tournament." he said, though it came out more as a bark. I was far used to this, though. This is how he usually spoke to me.

"Alright." I muttered, leaving my position on the couch. I figured that we would have to 'prepare' to leave soon anyways. By prepare he meant that we were going to destroy any trace of us being her. Which will probably result in us burning this house down, but that doesn't surprise me. That is just the way Malik worked.

We did not speak after that. Which did not surprise me at all. We both hate speaking to each other more then necessary. I do not need him knowing that I plan on betraying him.

The norm of trying to live with Malik.

**I would try to put more, but I have like twenty other stories I want to update today. Plus, this chapter was hard to write, and I don't think I like it that much. What do you guys think? Send in a REVIEW!  
**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello! **

**Here I am! Thanks for the reviews, they are much appreciated! I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks for the follows and favorites as well! I appreciate those too!  
**

_Skylar's POV_

My mom was on the phone with someone when Marik and I walked into the kitchen. Since I knew better then to answer her, I immediately went to one of the cabinets and got out the poptarts. Not eating very well the past couple of days had made my appetite increase, especially since I got a good nights sleep. That strange dream did not affect me at all, so it seemed.

I grabbed a Brown Sugar Cinnamon and Marik grabbed a Strawberry, the only two flavors that we had. I leaned against the counter and ate mine while my mother talked on the phone, not really paying attention. Until my name came up, of course.

"Skylar would love that! This would be the perfect thing for her to get her mind off of... stuff," she said, not elaborating when she saw me standing there. Her eyes looked guilty for a moment, causing me to raise an eyebrow at her.

"You know what? She is standing right here, so why don't you ask her yourself? Here she is," she said, handing me the phone. _Seto Kaiba_, she mouthed at me. My eyebrow rose further up my forehead. I mean, Seto and I get along, but why would he be calling me?

"Hello?" I asked, making it sound like more of a question then anything.

Like Seto, he got straight down to business.

"I am going to be hosting a tournament back in America, a card-game tournament. I know how much you like dueling, so I was curious to see if you would be willing to participate." Seto said in a gruff voice. I had no idea what time it was back in America, but I knew it had to be really late. Or really early, either or. "And Marik is included as well."

"Well, I would love to participate," I said. "But I am not sure about Marik. Give me a moment, okay?"

I held the phone away from my mouth and turned towards Marik.

"It is Seto Kaiba," I said. "And he is wondering if we want to participate in a card-game tournament back in America."

Marik contemplated it for a moment, before shrugging his shoulders.

"That sounds like a good plan," he started. "Plus it might throw Marik off of our trails for a little bit."

I smiled at him, which caused his eyes to widen, and returned to the phone call.

"Count us in. When will this tournament start?" I asked him. I heard him say something in the background, before he returned to me.

"In a few days, on the day of your eighteenth birthday." he replied. "Come by a day early to pick up some new Dueling equipment that I had designed for this tournament." he explained. "I already have both of your names into the system, and it's completely free."

"All right, then." I said. "See you then. Bye, Seto!"

"Bye, Skylar." he replied, before swiftly hanging up the phone.

I set the phone back down on the counter and looked at my mother.

"So this is what you were talking about?" I asked her, popping another piece of poptart into my mouth, savoring the sweetness.

She nodded.

"I think it is a good idea, personally." she said. "This has been a very stressful time of our lives and we all need a vacation from it all. Your father and I included." she chuckled lightly.

I raised an eyebrow.

"You are coming?" I asked her. "I would have thought you would stay here to hold down the fort."

She shrugged her shoulders.

"I suppose that I already miss the place," she mused. "I know I am going, but I am not sure about your father. I have to ask him yet." she laughed.

"You might want to do that, you know how he hates secrets." I replied. "I'm going to go take a shower. Marik you can go home and take one too."

"Do you want me to come back?" he asked me, sincerity in his eyes.

I contemplated this for a moment, rubbing my brown curls thoughtfully. Privacy or Marik? Decisions, decisions.

Hey, I could use a little friend time with Marik. Besides, it's not like I hate him. But I just have to get out of this house!

"How about I go over to yours?" I suggested. "Or we could go out and do something."

He seemed rather relieved at my suggestion, maybe from the fear that I wanted to be alone. Is he that scared that if I am alone, something would happen? I doubt that, at least for now. Tomorrow, the fear would probably increase, but for today I think I am safe.

"Okay, sounds good. I will come back for you as soon as I am done." he said. "Bye, Skye! Bye, Mrs. Rains!"

"Bye, Marik!" we chimed together, before he turned and walked out of the house.

I turned towards my mother.

"I do not know what I would do without him." I sighed, running my fingers through my hair, messing it up even more.

"Honey, do you... you know, like him as more then a friend?" she asked slowly. When I shot my eyes at her, she raised her hands in defense. "Honest question, and if you choose to answer it will not leave this room!"

I sighed, rubbing my forehead. It is a good question...

"I am honestly not sure of that myself, Mom. I'll get back to you on that," I answered, turning to leave. "For now, I shall go shower."

I then walked out, leaving my mother behind me in stunned silence.

**I feel like this chapter isn't very good, but I am not sure why. Opinions? Please don't be a silent reader and REVIEW!**


	20. Chapter 20

**What is this? An update? **

**Again, I am sorry about the late update! I just haven't gotten to sit down and just update all of my stories, which is what I plan on doing with the rest of my day! (Well, most of them. Hopefully). Not just on this site, but on the other sites I post on too, for my original fictions. Am I the only one who writes both fanfiction and original fiction? **

**Alright, so no reviews last chapter, but you know what? That's okay! I would really appreciate it if you guys would start reviewing more, but if you don't want to there's nothing I can do to stop you. **

**I hope that you like this chapter!**

**I HAD THIS WHOLE ENTIRE CHAPTER TYPED, I HIT A WRONG BUTTON, AND IT DISAPPEARED! NOOO!**

**Enjoy!**

_Skylar's POV_

Marik and I sat outside of his house, basking in the hot Egyptian sun, mainly in our own thoughts. I had told Marik about the dream, and at first he reckoned that it was Malik's doing.

I disagreed with that. Malik is too sadistic to send me a dream that only showed that. Plus, he always shows up in my nightmares. Always. He would not just sit there and let me watch.

Our lunch of sandwiches and chips laid to the side of us, forgotten about as we sat there. I was turned sideways, leaning against Marik's legs as my own dangled over the steps.

My copper legs popped against the light blue jean shorts I was wearing, along with the dark pink spaghetti strap tank top I was wearing. My hair was pulled into a low loose bun. All in all, I wasn't dressed to impress. I mean, it was only Marik.

"We need to do something else besides just sit here." I said, standing up. "I have to move, go somewhere else. I can't sit around any longer."

"How about the market?" Marik suggested, leaning his elbows on his knees. "We haven't been there in awhile. We can go see if we can find some of our old friends."

"Sure. Sounds good." I held out a hand to him, being the nice person I was. "Let's go!"

Besides, it sounded better then sitting around and doing nothing. A nice walk would even work. Anything to get up and stretch out my legs.

He took the offered and and pulled himself up, brushing off his dark blue tank top.

"Hey, look at that!" Marik said, pointing to the sky. I should have been suspicious, but I wasn't for some odd reason.

"What?" I asked in confusion, looking at where he was pointing. The sky...?

"SNEAK ATTACK!" he announced, before he tackled me to the ground. I had no chance of defending myself from him.

"Marik!" I whined, struggling to try and free myself from his strong grip. "You suck! That wasn't fair!"

"Hey, I use the 'Hey, look at that' trick all of the time!" he said, laughing. "It's not my fault you have gullible written on your forehead."

"Marik!" I grumbled, pushing against his chest. "Let me go! Come on, dude!"

"Nah, rather not." he said, laughing as he started to tickle my ribs.

"M-M-M-M-M-ARIK! S-S-S-TOP!" I squealed in laughter, attempting to breath while he mercilessly tortured my ribcage.

He was laughing along with me. Well, at me. I must have looked absolutely ridiculous, squealing like a child and wiggling around. But Marik didn't stop, not until he slipped and fell on top of me.

We both stopped laughing as I slowly caught my breath. When Marik sat up and looked at my eyes, I knew what would happen next. Yet I did nothing to stop it.

He leaned towards me, I leaned towards him, and our lips met in a soft, chaste kiss.

_Malik's POV_

I saw only red as the image of that scum kissing what was _mine _disappeared from the Millennium Rod. My hand holding the Rod up was literally shaking with rage. HOW DARE SHE! The little whore! How dare she go kiss MARIK!

I roared and flipped over the coffee table, all in a blind rage. Growling and roaring, I went through the house and destroyed everything inside of it, all down to the last appliance and piece of furniture. Bakura saw my rage and stepped outside of the house, because he must've guessed what would come next. I grabbed a few bottles of liquor and dumped it around the house, making sure to hit every room. At the front door, I lit up a match and threw it down, stepping out of the house just as the whole establishment flew up into flames. Bakura watched the house go up in flames in a face that could only be described as boredom. None of this did anything to stop or even cool off my rage, though. I was still so infuriatingly angry. They only just fanned the flames. It was enough that they were laughing together, but _kissing?! _The damn girl!

"We are going to Egypt NOW!" I growled out to Bakura, who simply nodded his head.

I created a portal to Skylar's bedroom, determined to make sure that the little whore got her punishment. Oh, I would punish her, alright. I would make the little skank know exactly who's she was! _MINE._

But, hurting her would do nothing but make her fight my touch even more. No, I had to do something more, to something else that she holds dear.

Or, come to think of it... other people. Yes, yes. Other people.

The moment my feet hit the floor of her bedroom I started my destruction. At the sounds of my breaking everything my hands touched, the sounds of pounding feet was heard, but I did nothing about it. I continued on with the havoc, trying to cool the raging flame in my soul.

Her parents showed up at the door, frantic. Her mother had a phone in her hand, and it was open, recently used.

A scream barely escaped their lips before I roared and leaped at them.

**He's really angry. Like I scared myself writing this. I have to picture things in my mind before I write them, and if you guys pictured what I saw in my mind's eye, you would be scared too. **

**I hope that you liked this! Please leave a REVIEW!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey!**

**I am sorry for the wait, but as you may have guessed, life can get in the way, and so does other stories. **

**And again, I was typing this, hit a wrong button, and it disappeared. **

***bangs head against keyboard***

**That has happened to me a LOT, especially for this story for some reason. I don't know why. **

**Okay, anyways, thanks for whoever reviewed, and like WhoWantsPie did, ask if you are confused on what happened. I am more then happy to explain to you what's going on if you do not understand. **

**I hope you like this chapter!**

**ENJOY!**

_Skylar's POV_

My eyes skimmed over the text message my mother had sent me, only moving because Marik was practically dragging me through the streets. Not in a mean way, but he was holding my hand and I must have not been moving fast enough for him.

"My mom wants me to grab some groceries before I come home." I said, snapping my phone shut and placing it back in my pocket. My hand went and wiped some sweat off of my forehead, from the intense heat of the Egyptian sun.

"All right." Marik said with a nod, screeching to a halt. His hand still laid over mine. "Do you just want to get it over with now, then we can just head back to my place? I have popsicles!"

The way he almost sang that last sentence made me laugh and shake my head.

"Nothing has changed, at least." I mused, casting a glance at our conjoined hands.

He laughed along with me.

"Nothing at all." he replied.

Okay, so after the... you know, kiss, we sat down and had a little talk. We decided to try and start dating, though we would not tell anyone of it. It would not help the situation, and God forbid _Malik _found out. If he found out about my feelings for Marik... I shudder at even thinking about what he would do to me, let alone anyone else. I hated thinking that I caused others pain.

Marik released my hand as we came upon the market place. We only held hands when nobody was around.

"So, what's first?" he asked. Me, being the forgetful person I am, had to pull out my phone and look over the list again.

Marik read over my shoulder and leaned away when I turned and looked at him.

"Maybe we will run into Ms. Remmers while we are taking care of the shopping." Marik said in a wistful voice as we started walking again. "I remember her. She was so nice."

Ignoring the looks the passerbys gave us because we were speaking in English, I answered, "Maybe. It would be very nice to see her again."

At least, I hope that if we ran into each other, it would go better then our encounter with Aiden. Which, when I told Marik about it, made him very, very angry.

Just as we reached the last stall, a large paper grocery bag on one of my hips holding all that I had bought, I had spotted her. With her dark skin and dark hair, she looked like she belonged with the heat and the sand.

"Ms. Remmers! It's nice to see you again! It's me, Skylar!" I greeted warmly in my native language as Marik studied her closely. She had aged slightly, not as old as my parents, but getting close.

"Mrs. Rusburg, now." she said with a laugh, holding out her left hand. A band of gold was wrapped around it, glittering against her chocolate skin. It was so nice to talk to someone else besides Marik or my parents in my native language. Refreshing.

"Hello." Marik grunted from beside me. I shot him a questioning look.

"It is so nice to see you two again. It's been what, almost a year!" she chuckled, but reached over the counter and gave me a hug, being careful of the groceries. "What can I get you two?"

I named off all of the items I needed and watched as she bustled about.

She named off a price, and I, just barely, had enough. I hadn't expected to do much grocery shopping but luck had been on my side.

"How has life been for you, Skylar dear?" she asked, her Egyptian accent thick and rich. Her pearly white teeth glittered against her skin.

"It's been..." I stopped, trying to search for words. "Difficult."

Her eyes shone with understanding.

"Oh. I see." she shook her head. "You don't have to talk about it. I understand."

She is one of the only people who knew of my situation with Malik, besides the people who were involved in the whole thing. And Allaina.

"Thank you." I said warmly. And it was nice, not having to explain things. Ms. Remmers (rather, Mrs. Rusburg now), was just that kind of person. She is honestly one of the nicest souls I know. The only other person that didn't demand information out of me was Allaina. But Allaina wasn't very nice to some people, I would admit that. At least, if they did something to tick her off. She was, lack of better words, a bad-ass, and I loved her for it.

"So, it was nice seeing you two again!" she repeated. "Tell your parents I said hi, Skylar. Oh, and Odion and Ishizu!" She said, directing the last sentence at Marik. We smiled and said goodbye, before turning and leaving.

A walking distance later, we arrived at the driveway to my house.

"Drop off the groceries then head back over!" Marik called as he walked back to his house. He waved at me.

I waved back as I walked down the driveway.

"Okay!" I called back.

The door was, strangely, unlocked when I opened it.

The groceries hit the floor with a loud crash, the contents spilling on the floor. But I didn't care. I instead leaped over the spilled goods and started sprinting through my house.

My demolished house. Everything was _destroyed_. Every picture, every piece of furniture... there were even holes in some of the walls.

God... Malik did this, didn't he?! He saw!

That must mean...

"MOM! DAD! PANDORA!" I screamed out as I sprinted through the house, checking in every room, trying to not panic. _Pleasepleaseplease let them be okay..._

When I came upon the entrance to my bedroom, my hand came up to my mouth and covered it as shaking sobs started wracking up my body.

My parents laid in their own pools of blood, beaten and broken. My father was already dead, I could tell from where I stood, but I could hear my mother's attempts at breathing.

"Mommy!" I cried as I fell to her side, not caring that I was being covered in her blood. I placed my head in my hands and started to cry.

"Don't... cry..." she breathed out, lifting a shaking hand and patting my forehead. "This... is when you have to be... strong."

She took a few gulping breaths as I lifted my head from my hands to look at her. I saw so much of me in her face.

She gave me smile as she stroked my hair out of my face.

"I love you so much, Skylar." she whispered. "Please... protect your sister. Now that your father... and I can't."

"Oh God, Mom!" I dry-heaved, turning my head to the side just in case. When nothing came up, I turned back to her.

"Your daddy loves you and Pandora too. Tell her that we both love her so much, please." she breathed in and out, staring up at me. I could see the light fading from her eyes.

"No no no! Mom, don't leave!" I shouted, not bothering stopping the tears that ran down my face. God, this is my fault...

"Honey, think of it like this. You don't have to worry about us anymore." she wheezed. "You only have to worry about your sister."

"Mom, this is my fault!" I cried to her. "I caused this."

"He would've done it eventually, Skylar." my mother said in a deadly serious tone. I leaned up and looked her straight in the eyes.

"I love you, Skylar..." she whispered one last time.

"I love you too, Mom." I whispered back.

She smiled again at me, before the light in her eyes faded and her chest stopped rising.

I placed my hand at her neck, feeling for a pulse. My movements became frantic as I reached and felt her wrist.

There was nothing.

The shaking started low, before it worked it's way through my entire body. I convulsed over my mother in shaking sobs, shaking her shoulders.

"MOMMY! NOOO! PLEASE WAKE UP! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE!" I sobbed over her body.

Looking up, I hiccuped as I tried searching for my sister. I saw a peek of black curls disappear from behind her bedroom door.

I turned back to my mother, my intentions clear. I reached over and closed her eyes, before setting her arms over her body in a more comfortable manner.

I heard banging on the door, with people frantic, crying my name. I heard Allaina, how is she here? I thought she was in America.

With silent tears streaming down my eyes, I whispered my final goodbyes to my parents.

I stood from my spot and ignored the blood that covered me.

First, I went to my sister's room and made sure she was alright. Though her room was demolished, she had been left unharmed, but shaken. She, from what she said, was hiding under her bed.

She walked with me and said her goodbyes to Mom and Dad, saying how she loved them. I cried even more, but didn't make a sound. It would only upset Pandora more. I would have to be her mother now.

When I finally opened the front door, there were Ishizu, Odion, Allaina, and Marik all standing there.

When they bombarded me with questions, I didn't answer. Instead, I looked up at the Egyptian sky.

Marik and Allaina both lunged forward to catch me as I collapsed, letting the blackness take over my mind.

**Yep. Definitely a tear-jerker. I'm almost in tears. **

**Please don't be silent readers and review.**


	22. Chapter 22

**There were no reviews the last chapter, but I updated anyways! **

**I hope that you liked the last chapter, and I hope you like this chapter! I will mention it later on for the people who skip the author's notes, but I will mention it now. Allaina, Skylar's best friend, had light blonde hair and blue eyes earlier, but now she will have brown eyes and caramel-colored hair. I just pictured her differently from then and now. I hope that it won't confuse you. If it does, let me know. **

**Enjoy!**

I blinked, a bright white light blinding my vision. Where was I?

"Skylar?!" A frantic voice next to me asked. "Girl, are you okay?"

"Allaina?" I asked sleepily, sitting up slightly. "Where am I?"

"We are at the Card Game tournament." Allaina explained. "None of your matches were in the first day, so we got a by on that one. Seto helped us transport you over here since you were unconscious." Allaina rambled on, her face relieved. She had her caramel-colored hair pulled up into a ponytail, paired with a black tank-top and a pair of camo shorts that reached just above her knees. They were a little big on her.

"Where's Pandora?!" I started freaking out. "Where is she?! Is she safe?!"

"Calm down, Skye. Don't worry, Pandora is safe. Odion and Ishizu are with her." Allaina explained. "Marik will be here in a minute. He went to take a shower."

"All right." I became quiet for a moment. "Has Malik made an appearance?"

Allaina's face became grave, her calm exterior hardening. Her brown eyes (I know that I have previously said that she had blue eyes before, but I changed my mind. I will change it when I go through this and fix up some things) burned with the intensity of the loathing she felt for him.

"He hasn't bothered to try and see you." she said through gritted teeth. "But he is participating in the tournament."

"WHAT?!" I screeched, bolting up in bed. "How could... how?!"

"Seto did all he could. But somehow, probably through magic, he got into the tournament." Allaina frowned. "You know how I feel about card games, so I'm not competing. Consider me your personal body guard."

I was relieved, most definitely. I would be protected, and so would my sister. Because after this, I do not want that child out of my sight.

"Did my parents get a proper burial?" I asked her quietly.

"We buried them back in Egypt." Allaina said. "We figured it was what you would have wanted."

I nodded, turning my head to the side and allowing my tears to gather in my eyes. I never got to see my parents buried... They deserved a funeral, a proper funeral.

"We wanted to have a proper memorial service for them, but we wanted to wait until you woke up to start setting things in motion." she continued.

"They need a memorial service." I said. "I will arrange it myself. Why did you even bring me over here? What's the point?"

"Malik made some very creative threats about what would happen to your little sister if you did not participate in this tournament, Skylar." her face betrayed nothing but honesty. "We had to protect her. I'm so sorry, Skylar."

Allaina's face was covered in sadness for a moment, before becoming as solid as a stone. Allaina was never one for showing emotions.

"It's all right, Allaina. I understand. If I wasn't unconscious, I would have made the decision by myself anyways." I said soothingly. "Can I see my sister?"

"In a bit." she assured. "I just wanted to give you some things. Stuff we found in the house that we figured you wanted." She reached and grabbed an envelope from the table next to the bed. "Your mother actually asked me to give this to you. You know, in case something happened."

I took the envelope and looked back at her.

"Is my grandmother going to come?" I asked her as I started on the seal to the letter. Allaina froze up, as solid as ice.

"What? Did... is she..." I started, tears filling my eyes.

"I didn't want to be the one to tell you." she stated. "But yes. She was killed."

Those words were the cause of my utter and complete meltdown.

"WHY?! YOU BASTARD YOU TOOK ENOUGH FROM ME! HOW DARE YOU!" I screamed to the sky, hoping that he could hear me. "HOW COULD YOU?!"

I sank back into my pillows in a fit of tears. As I screamed myself hoarse into the pillow, I was vaguely aware of hands rubbing on my back, more then one set, murmuring soothing words to be, in both English and my native language. This did nothing, though.

This was all my fault. I basically killed three people. God, I'm awful.

My eyes, red and swollen, lifted from the pillow, seeing my sister. Her eyes were red from crying, but she seemed relatively calm.

Sitting up, I stopped my shouting and wiped my eyes suddenly.

I have to be strong for her. Even if I don't get out alive, I have to make sure she does. Even if it was the last thing I ever did. I owed it to everyone. To my parents, to my grandmother, to myself. I have to live for her. She would have a happy life, she would grow up, she would become a good person.

I would do everything in my power to make sure that happens.

**I hope that you liked this chapter! I know that I have been kind of throwing things out there and I know that my writing was probably a little sloppy, but I just wanted to get something up because I haven't updated in awhile. It's shorter, I know. But please, bear with me. Some action may or may not come into play in the next couple of chapters, but I have to give it some thought. **

**As to how many chapters are left, I am not sure. Up to another twenty, I think. Actually, probably more. There is a big plot change from the rough draft (which I still need to get off of here) so it will naturally be longer. **

**Well, don't be a silent reader and REVIEW!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Thanks for the two reviews that I did receive, and to the Guest reviewer, don't feel bad. Though it was kind of scary thinking about him throwing a tantrum, it would be cool to see someone do that. **

**Summer vacation is almost here, which will mean faster updates! Well, hopefully, I mean I have a ton of sports camps, practices, softball games, tournaments, stuff like that... you know. I'm still going to be busy this summer, but updates should be faster then they would if school was in session. **

**Okay, please forgive me, but I am not sure how duels work, so I am going to basically skip over Skylar's, since it isn't very important anyways, and try to make it as close to Battle City as possible. Forgive me, I haven't watched Yu-Gi-Oh since I was way younger, and I can only find tidbits online, so it is not very accurate. **

**Please enjoy, and please review!**

"Skylar?" a voice asked as they knocked on the door. It took me a moment to recognize the voice, but when I realized that it was only Seto, I relaxed my stiff form.

"Yes?" I answered, walking over to the door and opening it a crack. After I was released from the hospital (I had only received a small shock and didn't need to stay) I had been graciously given a bedroom at Seto's house to stay in while I was here in America. I can't very well go back to my house. It would be too dangerous for both my sister and myself. My sister happened to be staying in a room right next to mine. Allaina had taken her out for ice cream earlier (more to get her out of my hair then anything). Allaina was in the room across from mine, Ishizu was next to her, and Odion and Marik were down the hall. Seto apparently had a lot of guest bedrooms that weren't being used. It was very nice of him.

"Your first match is in fifteen minutes." he said in a gruff voice. "If you want to be on time, you have to leave now."

"All right." I said, walking back over to my bed and grabbing my purse. "Where is my first match, anyways? I hadn't been told."

"In the city square, only a few blocks from here. I have two guards that can walk you there." he replied as I opened the door fully and stepped out. I was in a casual pair of shorts and a pink tank-top with a little pocket in it. Flip-flops adorned my feet.

"Thank you, Seto." I said, walking down the hallways towards the door. Towards two tall, broad-shouldered men wearing suits and sunglasses, whom I assumed were to be my escorts to the duel.

"Are you ready, ma'am?" one of them asked in a deep, gruff voice. I nodded.

"I am. Thank you again, Seto. For everything." I flashed him a small smile, but that was about all I could manage as I was steered out of the grand mansion and towards the place where my duel would take place.

The guards did not talk to me, nor I to them. I did not know whether it was part of the job, to not to talk to people and to glare at the passerbys, but they did a pretty good job at it. I clutched my duel disk by my side, scared that I would drop it. My neck sat in my purse, which hung around my shoulder. While we walked, I examined the duel disk again, though I had already done so earlier today.

It was... definitely new. I have to hand it to Seto, this was pretty cool. It showed projections of the actual game.

I blinked and looked up just as we came upon my dueling area. My eyes sought out my first opponent immediately, a boy who could be no older then fifteen. He had shaggy black hair that was slick with hair gel (might I note way too much) and he wore a pair of basketball pants and a plain black t-shirt. His grey eyes unsettled me, for some reason. He eyed me up and down, making me shift uncomfortably. I didn't even want to know what he was thinking, judging by the look in his eyes.

"So _you_ are the one I am supposed to duel?" he questioned with a drawl. "Psh, easy win. Such a shame such a pretty girl would have to lose."

I stared at him for a few moments, in disbelief more then anything, but I just rolled my eyes and did not even reply.

The officials went on to announce the duel, going through the rules, before leaving us to it.

All throughout the duel, that guy made me very uncomfortable. Luckily and coincidentally, though, I pulled an easy win, in which I obtained a locator card and his best card, which wasn't very good in the first place. He gave me a sullen stare, which was quite comedic and I had to hold back my laughter at. He came into the duel overconfident, and that was his downfall.

One of the guards explained the locator card to me as I flipped it over in my hands.

"The locator card, when combined with five others, shows the location of the final duels." he explained.

"Final duels?" I questioned. This whole tournament had not been explained to me, since I had fainted and there wasn't much time for explaining, but I had a general knowledge. I did not know that there would be multiple finals.

"The six people who collect the six locator cards are the finalists, and they will go to the secret location to participate in the finals." he replied.

I looked up at him, then said, "Thanks for explaining this."

He said nothing back.

"Hey!" I heard a voice call me over. I looked up and saw three figures walk towards me. I smiled as I greeted Marik, Allaina, and my little sister.

"Good job!" Allaina congratulated me as I gave my sister a hug. I saw Marik glare over my shoulder at the boy, who was still staring at me. I rolled my eyes and turned towards Marik.

"He's still young, give him a break." I chided him gently as I graciously accepted my ice cream cone handed to me by my little sister.

Marik huffed, but otherwise did not say anything.

"Anyways, I have my first locator card." I held it between my index and my middle finger, turning it to show them. "Have you dueled yet, Marik?"

"Yeah, some guy that looked thirty. No competition, really." he shrugged. "When's your next duel?"

"Huh, good question." I mumbled, turning sheepishly towards the guards. One of them raised an eyebrow.

"In two hours at this same spot, miss." he answered before I could even ask. I blushed slightly and stammered out a thank you.

Allaina laughed at me as she hoisted my sister over her shoulders. My sister giggled and wrapped her arms around her neck.

"Since we have two hours to kill, why don't we go check out the town?" Allaina suggested. "It took us forever to even find the ice cream store."

"Sounds good to me." I said, before turning to the guards. "Do you mind?"

They shook their heads.

"All right, let's head out." Allaina declared, marching to the head of the pack while my sister was riding piggy-back on her. Marik and I followed them, while the guards followed us.

As we wandered around, I felt like I was being watched. Needless to say, I wasn't surprised. Malik was probably stalking me again. He shouldn't be too angry at me for even being next to Marik.

I hope.

**I hope that that was okay! Please REVIEW and tell me what you think! **


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